Leap of Faith
by Missus T
Summary: Eric and Sookie are reunited years after a devastating break-up. Eric is an active duty Marine and Sookie is still struggling to move on. Will they take a second chance at true love, or is there too much history between them? AH/AU/OOC, etc.
1. An Unexpected Reunion

**Story Title: Leap of Faith**

**Chapter 1: An Unexpected Reunion**

**AH/AU/OOC and all that.**

**Characters: **Eric, Sookie, Jason, Hoyt, Lafayette, Tara, Sam, Bill (RIP), Arlene, Amelia, Alcide – you get the picture.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Southern Vampires characters or stories. All copyright belongs to Charlaine Harris.

**Best Beta Ever: **S. Meadows *grin*

**ooooo**ooooo**ooooo**

I was in the produce aisle when my life imploded for the second time. One minute I was reaching for some fresh ginger and the next, I bumped into this brick wall, but it wasn't a wall, it was him. I was totally shocked; I just opened my mouth and words tumbled out, "Eric, what on God's green Earth are you doing here?"

He was equally stunned, "Sookie?"

Just then my brother, Jason, came around the corner of and saw us. "Aw, shit," he said glancing at me, "I didn't know he was back Sookie." Then he looked at Eric, "Dude, just go."

"Jason, I…" Eric shook his head, but he was looking at me. "I just got home. I heard you were in Atlanta. Are you living in Bon Temps now?"

He heard I was in Atlanta? He was keeping track of me? Backthetruckup. I gave Jason a quick look before saying, "No, I'm just here for a long weekend."

He nodded and looked at me with those eyes. Oh, those eyes. "If you have time while you're here…we really should talk." He licked his lips, "I mean…I...there are things to say."

Before I could come up with a response Jason stepped in between us and spoke, "Dude, she'll talk to you if and when she wants to. Okay?" Without waiting for a response, Jason grabbed my hand and pulled me away from my past.

Eric Northman had been the greatest thing that ever happened to me, and a freakin' tsunami that left me destroyed. No one was really _mad_ at Eric for what had happened, okay, some people were mad, but mostly they were just protective of me. It took all I had not to turn around and stare at him. Hoyt's mom, Mrs. Fortenberry, was doing enough staring for all of us though. _Damn_. Everyone was going to know that I'd run into Eric before we even got home.

He was here. He wasn't overseas anymore. How had I not known that? I guess because no one wants to give you updates on your ex after they tear your heart out and leave you to deal with the aftermath. Sweet Shepherd of Judea! It had been, what seven years? Who was I kidding? I knew how long it had been - to the day. _Lord_, I let out a sigh and my mind was just boggled. Was he married? I hadn't even thought to look for a ring! Crap. But he wasn't dead; that was a good thing, right? And he looked good too. He was tan and fit. The shirt he'd been wearing smoothed over his skin to detail every curve and bulge. _Jesus, Mary and Joseph_ – that fact that I had even just had that thought irritated me. This weekend just kept getting worse.

Jason dragged me through the checkout quickly and into the truck. We were headed back to Gran's to drop me off. He had made sure I had enough groceries for the weekend and we'd gotten some supplies for tomorrow's guests; paper plates and things that we knew we would need.

We didn't talk the entire way back to the house. He put the truck in park and turned to look at me, "Sookie…I am so sorry. I really had no idea he was here. He must have just gotten into town. Shit."

I nodded, not sure what to say. I looked around at Gran's flowers and well kept lawn. Sighing, I said, "It's okay Jason, really. I just can't believe… I mean…it's just been so long. I thought I'd be okay if I ever saw him again. I mean, we both grew up here. It was bound to happen. But…wow." I leaned my head back against the seat, "This trip really sucks so far. Is there anything else I should know?"

"No, I mean, not that I can think of."

Jason helped me unload everything and had a glass of tea with me in the kitchen before he left. He gave me a hug that lasted a little too long, you know, the kind you give to someone who is totally damaged, and told me he'd see me in a few hours.

Life in Atlanta was so much different than home, so much faster and impersonal. But that's what Bon Temps, Louisiana would always be - home. I had just needed to get away and start over after I fell apart. Coming back after college still hadn't been appealing and, honestly, there weren't a lot of jobs here. So I found a job and made a life for myself in Atlanta. If you didn't know me from before, you wouldn't have known that I was half dead inside.

I have friends, I laugh, and I even have fun. I go on dates occasionally. I've had a couple of serious boyfriends and I almost got engaged once, but that was a disaster. I'm in a book club and a dinner club; I even take a dance class. _Crap, I'm defending my life to myself._

Today, seeing Eric though, it's like it all just happened again. Memories of us together were flooding my brain. It was bittersweet. There were so many good memories, but they always brought me back to the end, with me sitting alone on the porch swing trying to figure out what the hell had happened.

**ooooo**ooooo**ooooo**

Eric was older than me by three years, and we had known each other as long as I could remember. I thought he had always just seen me as Jason's sister, but one day during my junior year everything changed. He was home from Tulane University over in New Orleans for the holidays and was playing a game of pick-up basketball in the park when Tara and I came to watch her cousin Lafayette.

We found seats on one of the benches on the far side of the court. I was in my white sundress with the little red flowers; it was one of my favorites. Eric was in basketball shorts. No shirt, his team was skins. LORD. I had always thought he was hot. The guys kept on playing and didn't even notice us until there was a break in the game. Hoyt went in for Eric and when he turned to leave the court our eyes met. My eyes were usually on him; I couldn't help it really. He tripped a little and I smiled. He shrugged and grinned back, wiping himself off with a towel.

I was sure he had just tripped on his own feet, and that it had nothing to do with me until he turned and gave me another long look. "Shit Sookie. Did you see that? He was checking you out! Eric 'Mr. Hottness' Northman!" Tara giggled.

Tara and I were total opposites, the cute blond southern belle and the obnoxious black girl with street cred. I don't know why our friendship worked, but it did. She was as close to me as a sister. Tara's family hadn't really ever been there for her, so she was pretty much an adopted Stackhouse.

When the game finished we all headed to Merlotte's bar for something to eat. Sam worked there and always hooked us up with extras. Eric sat next to me, and I was lucky to string two words together, but I managed. We talked about trivial things, laughed and flirted. It got late and Lafayette had to get home so Tara gave him a ride. I tried not to act nervous, but that left me alone with Eric.

He smiled, "Well, Miss Stackhouse, I guess you need a ride."

"I guess so," I said, biting my lip.

He kept his hand on my lower back as we walked and opened the door for me. He was always a gentleman. The drive home was uneventful, but he walked me up on the porch and everything in the world was different. With the moonlight shining and the sound of Gran's TV show in the background he asked to see me the next day. I couldn't do anything but nod. He kissed my cheek and I know it sounds cliché, but that was it.

That night changed everything.

We were inseparable from that point on. Well, he was away at school during the week, but we were together every weekend.

I hadn't dated much before Eric. Being Jason's sister was a blessing and a curse. I met lots of guys with my brother, but I knew way too much about them to actually want to date them; and Jason would have killed them for trying.

But Eric Northman was different.

Sure, everyone thinks that they guy they date in High School is the one, but over the three years, I _knew_ Eric was the one. He waited for us to consummate our relationship until I was truly ready. He never pressured me, and when I was ready, he made our first time romantic and special. I was irrevocably in love with him.

He came to homecoming and prom with me and did all of those things that a college boyfriend should hate until I joined him at school. But he didn't hate it. He used to say that it didn't matter what we did, as long as we were together.

I moved to New Orleans when I graduated and started school at Tulane with him. For nearly three years there was no Sookie or Eric, it was always Sookieanderic, or Ericandsookie. It was disgusting, and I loved it. I always thought he did too.

We were home for the summer and went to dinner at Mon Cheri in Ruston. I had worn my best dress, not too churchy and not too slutty, and I was SURE this was it. Eric had graduated the week before and it was time to start the next chapter in our lives. He had been acting a little strange lately, and I was certain I knew why. He was going to ask me to marry him and make me the happiest woman in the world! I would finish college while Eric was in medical school, we'd have babies and we'd live happily ever after.

But dinner was finished, and it hadn't happened. Then we sat on the porch at Gran's, and I was so touched that he waited to ask me there. Since my parents died, Gran's house was a safe haven for both Jason and me. We rocked on the swing, and Eric looked nervous.

He turned and looked at me, "Sook, there's something we need to talk about." I grinned at him, but his eyes weren't dancing with joy, they were drawn tight and looked pained. My heart skipped a beat. Something was very wrong. He took my hands and let out a big breath, "Sookie, I need you to understand that it's not because of you."

Oh. My. God. Ohmygod ohmygod. This was NOT happening. I felt nauseous.

He smoothed my hair back, as if he needed to touch me. "I've been doing a lot of thinking," he continued. "You know how hard it was when my Uncle Bill died in the September 11th attacks, and I…I've been feeling that I need to do something. I can't just pretend that it didn't happen, and I can't just sit back and do nothing." Then he took my hands, trying to rub my wrists to calm me.

"Eric. I'm not following. What does this have to do with us?"

He shook his head and let out a deep breath, "I don't know how to tell you this, but…Sookie…I've enlisted."

My mouth fell open and I began blinking like an idiot. Catching flies Gran would say. I tilted my head to the side and just looked at him, "I'm sorry. You did what?"

"I joined the Marines."

My mind was trying to process everything. He wasn't breaking up with me; he was leaving for the military. There were so many questions, but the first thing I said was, "But, what about Med school?"

"This is more important to me Sookie. This is what I need to do."

"Okay," I continued, still trying to process what was happening, "So, how will we…Are you sure about this? Where are you going? Should I come too? Should I meet you there later? When do we leave?"

His eyes welled up, but no tears fell, "No baby. You can't come. I'm starting at Parris Island in South Carolina and then I'll go from there."

Taking a deep breath, he put a hand on my cheek, "Sook, you can't come. I _have_ to do this, and I can't make you wait for me. I don't expect you to, and I don't want you to."

"No, nonononono," I said shaking my head. "Eric, I love you. This doesn't change anything. You're not making me wait. I won't be waiting. I'll just come with you."

"I know, but…Sook, what if I don't come back? I don't want you to go through that. I can't do that to you."

"Eric – No. Listen to me; I understand that you think you have to do this, but you don't have to do it alone. I mean, I liked your Uncle Bill; he lived just back behind us. It's okay, I'll come with you."

"Sweet Sookie, I'm sorry, I really am. I have to do this alone though," he said as he tried to pull me in to his arms.

I fought him, hitting and pushing him, but he kept pulling me, and I gave in. I whispered through the tears rolling down my face, "Eric, you can't do this to me."

There was more talking that night, but really it was all a blur. Nothing I said swayed him; nothing he said made me understand. I was sobbing, he was trying to make me accept that he was leaving and I couldn't come…And then I was sitting on the porch swing alone.

You know in "New Moon" when Bella collapses in the woods and gets found later by Sam? Some people said that was a little dramatic, but me, I understood completely. At that moment, sitting on the swing, I was more dead inside than alive; the only thing keeping me going was my autonomic nervous system. I couldn't have directed my muscles to move or my mouth to make a sound to save my life. I didn't think that when Eric walked away he realized how destroyed I was. I mean, really, how could he have not have known? But if he knew, how could he leave?

I just sat on the swing in a daze. Jason showed up looking for some of Gran's coffee cake in the morning and I was still there, one leg up with my arms wrapped around it and my chin on me knee. It wasn't until he got to the top of the steps and saw that my hair was covered in dew that he knew something was wrong. When I didn't respond to anything he said, he picked me up and carried me in, all the while terrified that he would find Gran dead inside or something. At least that's how he tells it. Like I said, I don't really remember any part of it.

Gran was devastated for me. She and Tara knew that I had been expecting a ring that night. She told me that she covered me with blankets and forced me to drink broth and tea but that I didn't really even begin to communicate until the next day. Even then she said I was a train wreck, sobbing and struggling to say anything that made sense. Jason says now that he hated that part, and that he liked me better when I was just kind of comatose; he never could deal with crying women.

By the time I was able to dial a phone or get myself together enough to try to go to Eric's house, I knew he was gone. I found out later that he left two days after telling me goodbye. For a few weeks I floated around in a haze of pity and gossip. I couldn't decide if it would be better to go back to school and jumpstart my life, or stay home with my friends and family for support.

My decision was made during a trip to the post office for Gran. I had heard everyone whispering how sad it was and all the "poor Sookie" comments I could stand, but that day I overheard Arlene say that she would have known how to keep a man like Eric from leaving town. I nearly broke my leg rushing out of there so fast. I threw up in the parking lot, and I knew that I'd never get over him if I stayed in town, not that I ended up doing a great job of healing on my own, but that's not the point.

Eventualy, Jason told me when Eric was sent to Iraq. That was one of the few updates over the years that people thought I needed to hear. He said, "I was afraid that I'd have to tell you later that he was dead, and I couldn't do that if I hadn't told you he was there first." _Thanks Jason_, he's always been a genius.

But I was glad I knew. Before that I had just been clueless about Eric. He was doing what he had set out to do. I don't know what he did in the Marines, I don't know how his tour of duty went; and after seeing him in town today, I don't even know if he had to go back again.

**ooooo**ooooo**ooooo**

I heard a car door and glanced up. Somehow I had walked myself out to the porch to rehash all of my memories and was sitting on the stoop, though I don't remember doing it. And now my past was walking up the driveway towards me. Note to self, Eric drives the flashy red corvette Jason and I had seen in the Wal-Mart parking lot. Of course he does. Preparing for what was to come, I let out a deep breath. I had figured I wouldn't get away without talking to him this weekend, but I was hoping I'd have more time to get used to the idea.

He stopped at the bottom of the steps, "Mind if I sit?"

"Does it really matter?"

He gave me a crooked smile and shook his head, "No, it really doesn't."

"I didn't think so," I said with a sigh. He sat on one of the bottom steps, his long legs folding, his knees jutting up, reminding me just how tall he was.

He was looking me over, not trying to hide it, "You look really good Sookie. Are you well?"

I huffed, and shook my head, "I'd like to say I am, but no, not really."

He looked slightly shocked at my honest answer. "Sookie, I'm sorry. I don't mean to upset you," he said. "I didn't know you were here. I just got into town myself. And I just… I just wanted to talk."

I actually started to laugh and then caught myself and stopped. He was going to think I was crazy. I closed my eyes but that didn't stop the tears that filled them. Before I could say anything I heard a car pull in the driveway and opened my eyes to see Tara pulling up.

She got out of the car with a garment bag and headed toward the porch. I looked at him again, wanting him to read my thoughts and understand everything that was going on in my head. Since that didn't work I just said, "Eric…this is so not the time for this conversation."

He looked at me kind of funny and Tara came right up to him and drew his attention, speaking fast, the way she does, "I heard you were back. Exactly what are you doing here? You bring a ring this time?"

"What?"

"Tara!"

He and I spoke at the same time. I wanted to pretend she hadn't made the crack about the ring and hoped he would forget about it.

"Never mind, asshole. Why can't you just leave her in peace? Jesus. She comes to town to bury her granny and you gotta get all up in her business?"

**ooooo**ooooo**ooooo**

**A\N: **This story has been months in the making. I started it before DONY was finished, but wanted to get a few chapters scratched out before I posted… I just wasn't sure where it was going. Then I got a little distracted writing Finding John Wayne and then reading some AMAZING fanfics by other FANtastic authors (see my faves in my profile) but I really wanted to get this one out there. Anyway, I'm sure you don't care about all of that - so, here it is, I hope you like. Please leave me a review and let me know what you think.

HUGE props S. Meadows to for being the beta-master supreme. She is the bestest, the cream to my corn, the hot to my tamale, the Root to my Beer, I could go on and on. Any remaining mistakes are sadly mine, all mine.

**Lastly, a message from Meads: **

**Attn: **SVM readers and writers! SVM Teaser Mondays is still going strong! Get a sneak peak at what is coming up on your favorite fics! Any SVM writer can post a teaser! Subscribe to the thread here (remove spaces): http: / forum. fanfiction. net/ topic/ 55534/19191439/1/


	2. The Cavalry Arrives

**Title: Leap of Faith**

**Chapter 2: The Cavalry Arrives**

**ooooo**ooooo**ooooo**

The dam that held my tears back broke as Eric's head whipped around towards me.

"Shit," he said, "Gran?"

Tears fell as I nodded, and I wrapped my arms around my waist to hug myself. Wiping my face, I said, "Thanks for the announcement Tara. And thanks for bringing my dress back."

She hung the garment bag on the porch rail and gave Eric one of those pursed lip looks she was good at, "I think maybe you should go."

I glanced at Eric, and he looked as devastated as I felt. He'd always loved my gran like his own. "Really, it's okay Tara," I said with a sigh, "We're just talking. I'll see you tonight at the viewing."

She mumbled something about only if I was sure and gave Eric another dirty look as she left.

He waited until she got in the car and then turned to me, "Jesus Sookie, what happened?"

"She had a heart attack while she was on vacation with the ladies from the Descendants of the Glorious Dead," I said, feeling strangely numb. "They were up in Virginia visiting Civil War battlefields and stuff. It was some ghost tour, and it was just too much for her I guess."

"God. I'm so sorry. I know how much she meant to you."

"Thanks. I still kind of don't believe it really. I mean, look around, it's like she's still here."

"Yeah," he said, taking in the green lawn and flower beds, "She loved fall."

I wiped my eyes yet again and smiled, "Jason and Hoyt worked on the yard all day yesterday raking and weeding. Gran would want everything to look good for tomorrow."

It was quiet for a minute. I didn't want to have a conversation about _us_, let alone start it. I just didn't know what to say. So I waited, and finally he spoke, "I thought about you all of the time. I hoped maybe I'd hear from you sometime. Anyway, I was so proud of you when I heard you got your degree."

_He thought about me all the time? He thought I might get in touch with him? Why in the Hell would I do that after the way he left me? And who was telling him about me, updating him on my life? What the Hell? _

I scrunched my eyebrows at him and asked, "Who told you I graduated?"

"Pam," he said simply.

_Ah, his sister._ Eric and Pam had grown up in Bon Temps living with their Aunt Octavia. His father was a civil engineer that built power plants all over the world and his mother was a socialite that traveled along for the ride. When the kids were old enough for school his Aunt Octavia realized that dragging them all over the planet every few years wasn't the best idea; so she lobbied her sister to allow them to stay in Bon Temps for a stable upbringing.

Neither parent argued much with her logic; both being preoccupied with their own lives. It was one more indication to Octavia that both Pam and Eric would be much better off with her than their biological parents. Over the years, their mother visited occasionally, but Eric would tell you he hardly knew his dad.

Eric must have thought I graduated from Tulane. Since he didn't mention my change in schools; I realized he didn't know the whole story. I had tried to go back, but there were too many memories. We hadn't lived together officially, but we rarely spent a night apart during our last year in New Orleans, so most of my memories there involved the two of us. The coffee shop we went to every Saturday, the barbeque place he loved, the smell of Café du Monde, the used bookstore we spent hours in.

His presence, or absence actually, was making me crazy and I knew within a week that I couldn't stay. My advisor, Mrs. Burson, helped me transfer to the University of Georgia at Athens; they had a great Social Work program. So I packed my things and moved. I tended bar for the rest of that first semester before I could start classes and it helped me get used to the new town and make some new friends. My best friend, Amelia, would be here in the morning; she'd been the best thing to happen to me in Eric's wake.

_Damn._ There was so much he didn't know, and so much that I just didn't have it in me to talk about right now. Pulling the band-aid off my heart would put me in a tailspin, and I was already feeling off balance.

"Well, thanks," I said, trying to downplay the whole graduation story, "I worked real hard to finish school."

_Should I comment on how he said he thought about me all the time?_ I had no idea what that meant, and no idea how to respond. This conversation was not going anything like I had ever imagined.

"It's… nice… to see you too," I said, trying not to sound like a total fool. "How have you been?" I asked, being polite.

"I'm good," he said flatly. When our eyes met, he knew that I could tell he really wasn't okay so he continued, "It's just been a rough year or so. I'm alright; really."

We sat quietly for a minute, watching leaves fall and hearing them rustle in the breeze.

Eric put his hand over mine and I practically sighed at the contact. I should not enjoy his touch so much; or his scent, or his mere presence. _Sonofabitch._ The angel and devil on my shoulders were warring and I couldn't begin to guess who would win. Aw Hell, I wanted the devil to win, but I couldn't let the angel give up without a fight.

"Sookie," he said, shaking his head, "Running into you today, it couldn't have happened at a better time for me. I just... I really needed something good to happen in my life right now. Listen, I probably have no right to ask this of you, but I'd like to spend some time with you while we're both here."

He looked around, rubbing the back of my hand with his thumb. _Did he expect a response from me?_ My head was spinning. I really should pull my hand away, but the connection with him felt so good. I wanted to spend time with him. I wanted to tell him that he could move in to Gran's and stay the weekend with me. And I wanted to run as far away from him as possible.

"Please, Sookie, it's just a little of your time."

Our eyes met, and my head moved by its own accord, nodding agreement. _Damn, tailspin here I come. _

There was a racket on Hummingbird Land and I was saved from having to actually give a spoken answer.

Jason was pulling back in the driveway in his oversized truck, dirt flying everywhere. He jumped out and ran towards the porch, much faster than was necessary. I should have known Tara wouldn't just leave me there with Eric. She had called the cavalry.

"Um, hey ya'll. Did I leave my cell phone here?" Jason asked.

Eric was looking at my brother like he'd lost his mind.

"No Jay, it's clipped to your belt," I answered with a laugh. _Bless their hearts_; they were just trying to protect me.

"Oh, yeah, there it is. Dang. I'd lose my dick if it wasn't attached."

Several nasty comments came to mind about where he would possibly lose his dick, but I bit my tongue. Eric glanced between the two of us, and I knew he had figured out what was going on. Part of me wanted to tell my brother to just leave, but I did appreciate what he was trying to do.

There was more noise at the end of the driveway. Hummingbird Lane had seen more traffic today than there had been in years. I wondered if Tara had sent someone else over to save me. Jason had a better view and smiled when he saw who was coming.

"Looks like the cousins are here," he said, "Tell them I'll see 'em tonight; will ya Sook?"

My cousins Claude and Claudine were arriving in a red convertible BMW. They were from Florida and staying with me at Gran's for the services.

Jason ran back to his truck and hollered, "Later Eric!" as he made his getaway.

My cousins were twins. They were beautiful, smart, rich, and Claudine had never liked Eric. Claude differed to his sister in terms of relationships, he was a hopeless bachelor and didn't think he should give anyone advice. Claudine always tried to stir things up with Eric. She told Gran that he was too old for me when we first started dating, and when he left for the Marines, it sealed the deal as far as she was concerned. Breaking my heart had been an unforgivable sin in Claudine's eyes.

Eric muttered under his breath when he realized which cousins Jason had meant.

"They're here for the weekend," I said, matter of fact.

"I should probably go."

"You won't be quick enough. She'll get in a few jabs."

He stood and stepped down to the next stair, releasing my hand. He smiled at me and said, "Like I said, I'd like to see you and to talk some more while you're here."

I nodded again, there wasn't anything else I could do, and waited for Claudine's inevitable attack on Eric's character. She was the only person that continued to talk about him in front of me over the years – but she never said anything nice and she never used his actual name.

When they got within earshot, Claudine started her assault, "Oh, look! It's a rare Jack-ass-osaurus, Claude. I thought they were extinct."

Claude sighed, "They really aren't all that rare, sis. But most of them know not to come around this area. So many rednecks with guns in their trucks, you know?"

"Ya'll, leave him alone," I said. "It's gonna be hard enough this weekend."

Eric didn't let them rile him. "I was just leaving," he said politely. "Sookie, I'll see you later?"

Fighting against seeing him this weekend was futile.

"Yeah. The viewing is tonight at six. Service is tomorrow at eleven," I said. He didn't need any other details about the funeral. There was only one funeral home in Bon Temps, and he knew Gran would be buried out back, in the cemetery between our property and the Compton's.

He walked out to his car slowly and part of me wanted to run after him. I didn't know what to say to him, or where things would go now between us, but watching him walk away was made my chest ache.

Claude was getting their bags when his sister started interrogating me about Eric. We had barely made it into the parlor when she said, "Sookie, exactly _what_ was he-who-will-not-be-named doing here?"

I couldn't believe she was comparing him to Voldemort. "Claudine, please," I said. "Just leave it alone. I can't deal with you're nastiness right now."

"Nastiness? Sookie, I'm trying to look out for you!"

"I know you mean well, but just stop," I said with a sigh.

Claude had come in with the luggage and sensed that I was at the end of my rope. He pulled me into his arms for a hug. "Claudine, put away your claws," he teased.

She huffed and headed up the stairs. Claude gave me another squeeze and followed his sister up to the guest rooms; we both knew she expected him to deliver her bags.

**ooooo**ooooo**ooooo**

The line of mourners had finally gotten small enough that I felt like I could escape for a cup of coffee. The ladies from Gran's DGD group were all there helping us keep things running smoothly. Gran had taught us all sorts of manners, but Jason and I knew nothing about coordinating a wake and a funeral. Tara had stood by my side most of the night; she had a much more calming effect on me than my brother, but that was no surprise. When she finally decided that I wasn't going to break into a million pieces, she went outside with Lafayette. They were probably getting high by the dumpster, but I didn't really care. I was just thankful that she had stayed with me for so long. I was functioning pretty much on autopilot; my brain was struggling to accept that Gran was gone and that Eric was, well, back.

There were only about thirty minutes left in the scheduled visitation time, and I couldn't find Jason anywhere. I sipped my coffee and glanced out the window. The sight made me smile and took me back to high school in my mind. Jason, Sam, Lafayette, René, Hoyt and Eric were standing by the corvette with the hood up. They were clearly talking about the engine and whatever else men talked about when they covet a friend's car. It was such a common scene when we were younger, to see them all gathered around someone's vehicle, to appreciate it or work on it.

Eric laughed at something René said, it was off color and sexist I was sure, and he looked beautiful; like he was the young and carefree Eric I had known. From our conversation earlier I didn't get the impression he was either of those things these days.

My mind was wandering, going back over the day. Eric thought about me. He thought I might have tried to contact him. He looked GOOD; and he appeared to be having a hard time seeing me again as well. I was beginning to think that I wasn't the only one that was broken. And I kept coming back to the fact that Eric seemed to think that he and I could still make a "we."

Part of me, well, most of me, wanted us to have another chance; but a piece of my heart was screaming that I'd never survive again if it didn't work out.

Raising my eyes from my coffee cup, I saw Eric standing alone by his car, watching me through the window. Looking around, I realized that the mourners had mostly cleared out.

Eric smiled as my eyes again met his through the glass. We'd exchanged that look a million times, and I knew he was waiting for me. Feeling worn out, I let out a deep breath.

My cousins came over and told me they had made plans to meet Jason at Merlotte's bar. I was expected to make an appearance, but I sent them on ahead, saying that I'd join them later. Claudine flipped Eric the middle finger as she peeled out of the parking lot.

Like a magnet, I was pulled towards Eric in an exhausted haze. I was so tired that I didn't even think about it and walked straight into his arms. Realizing what I had done, I leaned my forehead on his chest for a second and swore. "Damn it," I said, "I wasn't going to do this."

He rubbed his hands down my arms. "What weren't you going to do?" he asked.

"This. Fall back into your arms. I can't think straight," I said, frustrated.

He put his arms around me and held me close. With his chin resting on my head he said, "Bird, we don't have to figure it all out tonight. Just let me hold you. You need it right now, and you know it."

He called me Bird. My heart jumped and my stomach flipped; I hadn't been called that since he left. He'd nicknamed me his little bird because Gran's house was on Hummingbird Lane. It hadn't been a secret, but he'd been the only one to ever call me that. I took a deep breath; he was right about my needing to be held. With the funeral and whatever it was going on between the two of us, I felt like I was lost. His warmth was making me feel better by the second. I just leaned on him and listened to his heartbeat.

What I should be doing right now was stepping away from Eric and going home, alone. The longer I was with him the worse it was going to get. I knew I was going to fall back in love with him – and then what? Go back to Atlanta? _My therapist was going to have a freakin' field day with all of this._ Eric's fingers were playing with my hair, and I stopped thinking.

After a few minutes, I pushed back from his chest and looked into his eyes. This weekend could cost me my sanity and the remnants of my heart, but I knew that I physically could not walk away from him.

"Will you drive me home so I can change?" I asked. "And then, maybe, take me to Merlotte's if you can put up with everyone's crap tonight?"

He put his hand up to my cheek, and I leaned into it, closing my eyes for a second.

He kissed my forehead and said, "You know I will, Sookie."

**ooooo**ooooo**ooooo**

**A/N: **

OMG! The first chapter got such a good response, I couldn't keep you waiting! Thanks soooo much for your reviews and feedback! Now, don't go expecting multiple updates every week – this is a fluke! At any rate, please let me know what you think…

Thanks again to the superfly S. Meadows for being my beta. She put up with multiple re-writes and nail-biting concern over my portrayal of Eric in this chapter. Any remaining mistakes are mine. Sorry.

AND – wait – are you ready? I still kind of can't believe this but -- _Finding John Wayne_ is in the top 5 for the Cowboy-Up contest! Please (remove the spaces and) go to http://www. fanfiction. net/u/2114441/EricStravaganza to read the 5 nominees and vote for your favorite! Giddy up!

Congrats to Txone, Missconstrued, ChinaCatSunflower and Simba317 for being in the top 5 as well. And props to all of the authors that entered, there are way more than 5 awesome stories in the mix. I don't know how the judges narrowed it down! Seriously, I think it's gonna be a close race, all of these stories are FANtastic!


	3. A Country Girl Can Survive

**Title: Leap of Faith**

**Chapter 3: A Country Girl Can Survive**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Southern Vampires characters or stories. All copyright belongs to Charlaine Harris.**

**A/N: I cannot thank everyone enough for the fabulous reviews that this story has received so far! Reviews are like a drug, the more I get, the more I want to write! So THANK YOU! (and keep 'em coming!) **

**Voting is still open for the Cowboy-Up Contest – go check out the top five entries (including mine – who would'a thunk?) and vote for your favorite (ahem, mine). Please (remove the spaces and) go to**

**http://www. fanfiction. net/u/2114441/EricStravaganza**

**Once again, I bow to S Meadows, Oh Captain, my Captain – a beta diva. **

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As we walked into Merlotte's I heard Hank Williams, Jr. singing, "And we can skin a buck; we can run a trot-line. And a country boy can survive." It was the little things that reminded me how different Bon Temps was from Atlanta. Sam's granddad was the original Merlotte, and although his parents still owned the place, Sam had taken over most of the day to day operations. He prided himself in maintaining the family tradition and not much had changed, besides the cook, in years.

I steeled myself to deal with the locals, including my friends and family. Eric had his hand on my lower back, and I think if he hadn't been there, I would have turned around and left.

People began murmuring as soon as they saw us together. We made it back to the pool tables where Jason and the Hoyt were playing a game before we were accosted. Tara marched directly up to me; ignoring Eric, she handed me a gin and tonic and gave me a hug in one smooth motion. I knew as soon as the hug eased that she was going to say something hateful to Eric, but I couldn't stop her.

"So, you think you can just walk back into her life like nothing happened! Do you asshole?"

"Tara," I started, but Eric spoke up.

"No, Tara, I don't. I didn't know she would be home, and I didn't know that Gran died. I'm trying to be a friend to Sookie right now, and whatever else happens is really none of your business."

My stomach sank at the word 'friend,' but I felt truly nauseous when he put Tara in her place, because you just don't do that. Or you don't do it without stirring up a hornets nest.

"None of my business? None. Of. My. Business? Do you think it was my business to take care of her when you left because she was fucking destroyed?"

"Tara!" I shouted.

Eric's cheeks were red, but not from embarrassment; I still knew him almost better than I knew myself. He was biting back what he wanted to yell at Tara; that he didn't break my heart on purpose, he left because he felt it was his duty to serve his country and honor his uncle. Back then I had wanted Eric to return to me with every fiber of my being, but I never considered what it would have meant for him. I couldn't imagine being the reason that he gave up serving in the military.

But my thoughts passed in a breath as Tara turned on me.

"What?" she asked me harshly. "You're not going to tell him."

People were trying to pretend like they weren't listening. Eyes were shifting around trying to focus on anything but the three of us.

"Tara," I said again, hoping the third time would be the charm, but it wasn't.

"You're not going to tell him how seriously broken you are on your own. You're going to try to make it sound like everything's fine now but you know it isn't. He needs to understand Sookie," she continued. "He needs how bad it was and he needs to know about the damned Cajun that wanted to marry you. That two-timing dumb fuck got what he deserved, even if you did it on accident."

I gasped and put my hand to my mouth. She did not just say that.

"I told you that in confidence," I whispered.

My gasp had finally caught her attention. She sighed and said, "Shit Sookie, I'm sorry. I just…I can't lose you again."

Eric was rubbing circles on my back as Tara and I stood looking at each other. I couldn't speak and I had no idea how I was going to explain any of what she had just said to Eric.

Thankfully, the twins stepped in, wonder-twin powers or something, Claude led Tara to the bar and Claudine ushered me to the bathroom. Eric squeezed my side for reassurance, but I had no idea what he could be thinking. That I was a complete nut job? Most likely.

Claudine knew how messed up I'd been when Eric left. She was also one of the few people who knew the whole story about Alcide's botched proposal, and the fact that he had cheated on me through our entire relationship, if that's what you could call it.

"Are you okay?" she asked when the bathroom door closed behind us.

I just looked at her.

"Okay, stupid question," she said and we both laughed.

I leaned back on the door and shut my eyes tight, hoping when I opened them it would all be better. Nope. I opened my eyes, and I was still in the bathroom with my cousin reeling from a verbal bitchslap from Tara.

"You really should tell him, Sookie. He has to know everything before you two can even think of moving forward," she said quietly. It was pretty much the nicest statement she'd ever said that involved Eric and me.

"Do you think we should move forward? That we can?"

"Sookie, I don't have anything to do with that. I know he owns your heart and he always will, but I don't know that you can afford to give it to him again."

"Are you okay? Why aren't you telling me he's an asshole and it doesn't matter?"

Claudine chuckled and looked away from her reflection to answer me. "You're right," she said, "I think Eric is the biggest asshole on the planet. I've never liked him, I probably never will. But Sook, you actually looked like a human being today when you were sitting with him; not like the zombie you've been for the past few years. If he does that for you, then you need to try."

Thoughtfully, I nodded. Had I really been that bad? Even recently? I mean I knew I wasn't 100%, I'd given up on that, but was it that obvious? How did I not know that everyone still thought I was still a train wreck? That sucked. I walked over and checked myself in the other mirror. My cheeks were still a little red and my eyes were glassy. There wasn't much I could do at this point, but I needed to pull myself together to go face Eric and everyone else.

"You're going to be fine Sookie. You're a Stackhouse. We're strong women," Claudine said. She expertly ran blood-red lipstick across her lips, gave them a little smack, and smiled approval at herself in the mirror.

Then she turned to me with a serious look and said, "But don't expect me to be nice to Eric. He pushes every button that I have and I enjoy pushing his." With that, she walked out of the bathroom leaving me standing in her wake.

Apparently she had decided I was okay enough for her to leave. I muttered to myself that I could do this, and followed her.

Coming around the corner, I had to stop in my tracks. Eric was bent over, aligning a pool stick, and giving me, and everyone else, a fabulous view of his ass. He drew the stick back to take his shot and the movement of his biceps distracted me from his glutes. The balls clicked as he sank one of the solids. He stood and stretched to set up the next shot, oblivious to the females ogling his backside.

I saw Arlene looking at him out of the corner of my eye and all I could think was, _Hell no._

I strode with a purpose to the pool table and blocked the view of Eric's behind, staking my claim. I turned to face the crowd, and the women acted like they hadn't been watching. _Shit, maybe they weren't watching._ What the hell was I doing? I felt like I was losing my mind.

Eric stood then, after missing his shot, and was surprised to find me standing so close.

"You okay?" he asked, reaching a hand out to touch my cheek.

"Yeah," I said. "This weekend is just a little bit much."

He smirked and said, "Yeah, this weekend isn't what I expected either. Let me know when you're ready and I'll take you home."

His proximity instilled courage in me, so I said, "Are you even going to ask about what Tara said earlier?"

"You'll tell me if you need to."

I nodded.

"I think I need to, but I don't think I can yet," I said quietly.

"When you can," he said.

He stepped back to take his turn at the pool table, and I moved to stand next to Tara. I was pissed at her, but she was my best friend. With one look I knew how sorry she was. I squeezed her hand, and we went on like nothing had happened.

The evening wore on and everyone behaved, for the most part. They avoided asking questions about Eric and me and stuck to talking about Gran or telling old high school stories.

At one point I saw Arlene head over towards Eric, but then I saw Tara "accidently" spill a beer all over her before she got to him. She winked at me as Arlene high-tailed it to the restroom.

Alcohol tended to loosen her tongue, and Claudine was on a roll. She was telling stories about her latest boy toy. _Sweet Jesus_, the things that she told us. I never wanted to meet the guy; I would blush from head to toe if I ever saw him! Claude had been talking with Sam at the bar, but when he saw my face he realized it was time for his sister to head home.

Claude hadn't even made it over to us yet when I felt Eric's hand on my waist. I leaned back into his chest automatically. It shouldn't be so easy for me to feel comfortable with him.

I was thinking that the natives hadn't been too bad tonight, conceivably it could have been much worse and I knew it.

And then Claudine started talking to Eric, "So asshat, how long are you in town for?"

"You know my name Claudine."

"Yes, but asshat is more fitting. Answer the question."

"I'm home for two weeks."

"And then?"

"And then I go back."

She had a shitty grin on her face, "I hope you give Sookie some additional details and don't just abandon her again."

Why was everyone throwing me under the bus? And what had happened to sweet Claudine from the restroom? _Damn. This is what she meant about pushing buttons._

I felt vibrations in Eric's chest just before I heard a growl. _Holy crap that was sexy._

Through gritted teeth he said, "That's quite enough Claudine."

Claude stepped in front of his sister and looked over his shoulder at us. He mouthed, "Sorry," and turned back to his sister to give her a fresh drink. It apparently distracted her, because I heard Claudine begin complaining about the crappy vodka that Merlotte's considered top shelf.

Without a word I led Eric towards the door.

"Sookie, we don't have to leave," he said.

I was embarrassed from Claudine's attack, it was the final straw for me, but I looked up at him and tried to smile. "I need to get out of here," I said. Nodding at my brother, we headed for Eric's car.

A new song came on his IPod as we pulled out the parking lot. With just the first few notes of the tune, I recognized the song. I didn't even need to hear the first verse.

"_Breathe in for luck, _

_Breathe in so deep, _

_This air is blessed, _

_You share with me."_

The song was "Hands Down" by Dashboard Confessional and I'd heard it a million times. The lyrics were about a high school couple and the best date they ever had. It was more my taste in music than Eric's; but it was on every mix CD we ever made each other.

Eric tried quickly to push the button to skip the song; clearly he recognized it as well.

"It's okay," I said. "I still love that song."

Then I burst out laughing when I heard the music start again. It was "The Space Between" by Dave Mathews Band. We had seen DMB together twice.

"Seriously," he groaned. "It's on shuffle, I swear." He hit the skip button again and Metallica came on, definitely more his style.

We didn't talk much more on the way home; but my bad mood from the bar had eased after the IPod incident. Pulling in, he turned the engine off and looked at me with a sad smile.

"Sookie, I don't really know what is going on here. I don't want you to feel pressured or, like you need to make any decisions. Okay?"

I nodded, and he continued.

"I think that some things happened after I left that I don't know anything about," he said, holding his hand up telling me to let him continue. "You can tell me about it when you're ready. I'm sorry that they are shoving it in my face. It's your story to tell. But, Sookie, you have to understand that seeing you totally blindsided me today. I didn't know that you would be in town, and I had no idea what seeing you was going to do to me. Fuck. Everything came back. I just wanted to pull you in my arms there in the store."

He stared out the passenger window past me for a second, and then he squeezed my hand. "Bird, I want to spend as much time as I can with you while you're here," he said, "But only if you want to."

It had been bothering me all night. There were things that I needed to know, to understand before I could make that decision.

"Eric, can I ask you something?"

"Anything," He said, taking my hand and rubbing the back of it with his thumb the way he always did.

"Why did you think I would try to contact you?"

He looked away from me and let out a deep breath and then met my eyes before he spoke. "I knew I was breaking your heart Sookie," he said quietly, moving his hands to the steering wheel. "But I had to go; it was something I had to do. I just thought, after my phone calls, that you would at least try to get in touch and let me know how you were; or shit, yell at me some more or something."

_Phone calls – as in more than one?_ My face went pale and I felt bile in my throat; I thought I might be sick right there.

He had a death grip on the top of the steering wheel with both hands and he leaned his head against them to look at me. "Oh God, you didn't know?" he said with disbelief.

"I had no idea," I said, I think I was actually trembling. Having always thought that he had walked away from me without a second thought, the idea that he called to check on me meant the world. What the hell had happened? Who had kept it from me that he called? "Who did you talk to? What did they say?" I asked quietly.

"My family, your family, they said you were fine and that you didn't want to talk to me. Shit, Sookie. I called as soon as I could. I stopped trying to get through to you when I went to my first post, by then I figured you must really not want to talk to me," he said, shaking his head. "From the things I've heard today, you weren't fine, and it kills me. I didn't know."

Of course my family said I was okay. How do you tell someone that they've left your sister or grandchild a discarded shell of a human? But his family, why would they lie to him like that? I couldn't wrap my head around it.

"Eric, I wasn't fine. I was a mess, but I can't really talk about it with you yet. I mean, it was a long time ago, but all of the sudden it's like it was yesterday."

He smiled, "Yeah. Tell me about it."

Before we could go any farther, there was something else I needed to know. Quietly, because I was afraid of the answer, I asked, "Are you, right now, I mean…Are you even single?"

That brought a chuckle. "Yeah, Sookie. I'm single. My life hasn't really been conducive to dating and relationships, they haven't really worked out for me. What about you?"

"Oh, I'm single," said with a little huff. Sarcastically, I continued, "I've had some problems with commitment. If you can imagine that."

"Sookie, I'm really sorry. They told me what I wanted to hear and I believed it."

"What do you mean 'What you wanted to hear?'"

"It wasn't easy for me either, Sookie. Leaving you was one of the hardest things I've ever done. When I got to South Carolina I was miserable. If I had known how bad things were back here, I would have found a way to come home."

And there it was. A Recruit can't just come home because he broke some poor girls' heart, everyone knew that. His family, and my family, looked out for us the only way they could, by lying through their teeth.

"You wouldn't have been able to come back Eric, we both know that," I practically whispered.

"I would have tried," he said, running his hands through his hair.

We sat quietly, each digesting what we had just learned. He reached up to brush his fingers along my cheek, "Will you please let me spend time with you this weekend?"

I leaned into his hand and sighed, "Eric…I just… I don't know if I can go through your leaving again."

He put his other hand up, cupping my face gently, "What if I promise to come back for you?"

My heart fluttered. Did I hear that right? _I'm not sure that's a promise you can make, or one I'm willing to live with_. There was no way I was prepared to answer that question or really even think about it yet.

"Hey, what happened to no pressure?" I said, trying to laugh it off.

He laughed and kissed my forehead, dropping his hands from my face. "Yeah, sorry, no pressure," he said, with a smile. "Sookie, I'll be here tomorrow if you need me."

"I think I would like that," I said quietly.

"You're tired," he said. "I'll walk you up."

Like a gentleman, he opened my door and walked me up the porch steps. The light came on automatically; Jason must have put a motion detecting light up for Gran. We blinked in the bright light and smiled shyly at each other. How many times had we played out this scene before?

There were so many things that I needed to say to him, that I needed him to know. Now there were questions too; things I needed to know about him. But none of that mattered tonight; I just wanted to crawl in my bed and sleep.

"You should get some sleep," he said as if he'd read my mind.

I nodded, not sure that my voice would work. I moved to unlock the door but dropped my keys. He picked them up with a chuckle and unlocked the door for me.

"I'll see you in the morning," he said, giving me a quick kiss on the hair and backing down the porch stairs.

After locking the door, I stood and watched him drive away through the window. Closing my eyes, my brain started spinning. What was I doing? How could I do this to myself? Did it really matter that he had called; or was I reading too much into it? I turned and saw my black dress hanging from the mantle where I'd hung it after ironing it. Everything came back to me with a piercing stab to the chest. Gran's funeral was in the morning. How had I forgotten, even for a moment? I forced myself up the stairs and went through my evening routine.

I lay in bed, wishing sleep would come, but the only thing that came were tears. Tears for Gran, tears for Eric and me, for all of the years we both spent missing each other, and for the future that was uncertain. I heard my cousins come in, trying to be quiet, or at least Claude tried. I closed my eyes and feigned sleep when I heard my door creek open, one of them was checking on me.

I didn't want to deal with either of them.

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**A/N: **

**Aww…G'night Sookie. K – please give me some review love. What do you think? Does it make a difference that he tried to call her? **

**And what about, "My life hasn't really been conducive to dating and relationships, they haven't really worked out for me." Bet you want to know what that means! Ha! I'll tell you, in a chapter or two. Bwahahahahah (OMG – the ladies in the Sookieverse are rubbing off on me, I'm getting evil!) **

**The Sookieverse girls have also got me started on using playlist. I LOVE music, the stories it tells and how it relates to our lives. Music and songs play a huge role in my personal memories. Anway – I started a playlist for Leap of Faith, I'll add to it as we go…(Remove the spaces) http://www. playlist. com/leapoffaith**

**Songs mentioned in this chapter are: (all in the playlist)**

**A County Boy Can Survive – Hank Williams Jr**

**Hands Down – Dashboard Confessional**

**The Space Between – DMB **

**Ohh – and since it's Monday – Don't forget about SVM Teaser Mondays:**

**Attn: SVM readers and writers! SVM Teaser Mondays is still going strong! Get a sneak peak at what is coming up on your favorite fics! Any SVM writer can post a teaser! Subscribe to the thread here (remove spaces): http: // forum. fanfiction. net/ topic/ 55534/19191439/1/**

**Sorry for the giant (double) dose of A/N's. Don't hate. **


	4. Liar! Liar!

**Title: Leap of Faith**

**Chapter 4 (EPOV): Liar! Liar! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Southern Vampires characters or stories. All copyright belongs to Charlaine Harris.**

**A/N: **

**I am still completely overwhelmed by the response to this story and I hope that you can stick with me for the drama to play out before we get some lemony happiness. It is coming (*grin*), I promise. **

**I have to thank S. Meadows again for her beta work. She is a busy lady and still makes time to review this.*Sniff* I'm putting her on my Christmas card list for next year. (As always, all remaining goofs are mine.)**

**Surprise! You all had so many questions about Eric that I added this chapter before the funeral scene which is darn near ready to post. Hopefully this will answer some questions about Eric that you've had! And it's from Eric's point of view! You can thank me later. **

o0o0o*o0o0o*o0o0o*o0o0o

EPOV:

I drove home from Sookie's with a silly grin on my face and a knot in my stomach. _Pam had better be awake when I get home, because we are going to have words. They fucking lied to me. All of them. I cannot begin to fathom…What. The. Fuck?_ Years of my life were built on the belief that she had been fine.

The decision to break up with Sookie had been agonizing. The possibilities of what could happen after I enlisted were endless, but many of them ended with her completely miserable. I saw her alone for months at a time, feeling neglected, or shit, widowed. I did not want any of this for her; and I couldn't be the one to put her through those things. I knew that breaking up would be hard on both of us, but I thought that we'd both be able to move on after some time had passed. The agony I felt walking away from her sitting on the porch that night had been unimaginable.

Aunt Octavia, or Aunt O as I called her, had been alarmed at the wreck I'd been after breaking it off with Sookie. I wasn't sleeping, and I threw up every time I tried to eat. She just kept trying to feed me, saying I was going to need my energy, but it wasn't working out for either of us.

When I decided to enlist, Aunt O had been supportive, saying things like, "Your Uncle Bill would be so proud of you. I'm so proud of you. Serving your country is an honor." But my sister had been a complete bitch when she found out. Pam told me I was selfish and self-centered and that I was going to get myself killed, leaving her to deal with a grief stricken Aunt O if something should happen to me. Pam always had a vivid imagination, and as a high school sophomore, I think she was terrified to imagine her older brother going to war. It was kind of touching, if you could cut through all of the dramatic bullshit she was screaming.

When it was time for me to leave for Boot Camp, and I was still acting like a despondent zombie, Aunt O decided to drive me to the bus station without Pam. I hugged and kissed my sister goodbye in the driveway and swore I would call or write when I could.

We didn't say anything as we drove past my familiar haunts, but after we pulled in a parking space, Aunt O took my hand and started talking. "You made your choice Eric. You feel horrible and terrified and you want me to turn the car around," she said.

I couldn't figure out how she was reading my mind, but I was thinking all of those things.

She continued, not expecting me to respond, "Son, this was set in place the minute you signed those papers two months ago. Breaking up with Sookie was a separate decision, and you can do everything you need to fix things later if you want to."

I was trying not to cry. _Shit._ I was leaving to join the fucking Marines. I couldn't be crying when I got on the bus.

Then she put her hand to my cheek, "Eric, you've got to get on that bus and put her out of your mind for a spell. You are going to be a good Marine and you need to go in there with your head screwed on straight. You hear me? You give it one hundred and ten percent; and when things settle down, then you figure out what to do about Sookie? Okay?"

She was right and I knew it, but I still wasn't sure I could get my mind off Sookie. So I busted my ass through training, and lay in bed every night picturing her on that porch swing grabbing at my shirt and begging me not to leave her. It fucking tore me apart, yet it pushed me to work even harder the next day

When we were finally given the chance to use the phone, I was exhausted from training and teary eyed with emotion. All I could think about was Sookie and how shitty I had felt walking away from her. I didn't even consider calling my parents, and no matter how much I loved Pam and my Aunt; I wanted Sookie to be the first person I spoke to. I'd have given anything to hear her voice.

Her Gran answered the phone, "Oh, Eric. Sookie's not around right now. I hope you're doing well."

_Fuck!_ I knew Gran wasn't brushing me off on purpose, she was just using her southern manners, but the knife in my heart was twisting deeper.

When I asked about Sookie she said, "Oh, she's fine son. She took it hard, but she's a tough girl. She'll manage." Then she continued talking like I hadn't broken her granddaughter's heart a few weeks ago, "Now how are they treating you? I suppose you don't get to use the phone much. I'm going to have to call your Aunt for you aren't I?"

The next call to their house had been similar, although it was from Jason's perspective. "Oh hey. Sook's not home. How you been man? How many guns have you learned to shoot?"

He had paused when I asked about Sookie, then he said, "You know how chicks are, man. She's alright though. I think she's takin' some stuff to the post office for Gran."

My family had said pretty much the same things. Now I figured they had all gotten together and discussed how to "handle" the two of us. _Unfucking believable. _

At the recruiting office, I had asked to become a Reconnaissance Marine. They are the best of the best, the Marines' version of Navy SEALS, or Army Rangers. Always one to push myself to be the best, my expectations for myself in the military were no different. My ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) scores had been impressive to the recruiter, so I was given the Recon contract that I wanted. I knew that I was lucky as Hell to get the contract, so I worked hard to prove that I deserved it.

After Boot Camp I went to School of Infantry training at Camp Geiger in North Carolina and then the Recon Indoctrination Program in Virginia. All in all, training lasted close to two years. Eventually, I ended up as a part of the 2nd Recon Battalion out of Camp LeJeune, North Carolina. Over time, I worked my way up to Gunnery Sergeant and served as a team leader. It was an honor that both terrified me and strengthened my resolve as a Marine.

Although Cal and I were the tightest, I was close with the most of the guys in my unit. Hell, spending 24/7 together for twelve months at a time forces you to know people whether you want to or not. There was a small group of us that had agreed from the beginning that we would stay together and do a tour to honor each one of us. There was no wussing out if you got married; we were doing four tours, together. The only out we agreed on was if you had a sick kid, and so far, no one had needed to make that decision.

I had been back to Bon Temps a few times since I left, but it always reminded me of Sookie, so it made the trips home bittersweet. Then Aunt O died, and coming home was even harder. Pam had been in college and the house was empty unless she was on school breaks or holidays, so it was just easier not to come home at all.

When I was on leave I traveled with some of the other single guys or hung out with my friend Cal and his wife Sophie Anne, relaxing or working on my corvette, which I was kind of obsessive about. While stationed in some shit hole in the Persian Gulf, I read all kinds of car magazines and researched exactly what kind of car I wanted to buy; it had been easy to save the money for it while overseas.

Shortly after we finished all of our training I stood up in Cal and Sophie Anne's wedding, and she sort of adopted me as a brother, although she treated me more like a son sometimes. Sophie Anne knew damn near everything about me. The three of us spent way too much time together when Cal and I were home. I spent most evenings at their place for dinner or watching ESPN, and inevitably, Cal passed out first and woke up last, so Soph and I talked a lot.

She wanted to understand why I didn't have a serious girlfriend, and she used a whole box of Kleenex when I told her about Sookie. Over the years a few of our friends had met women and developed these long distance relationships; and then gotten married the when they were on leave. The long distance thing didn't interest me at all. I wanted more, and I wanted it with someone like Sookie, if I couldn't have her in the flesh.

Honestly, I didn't have much luck dating post Sookie. Sure, I had my pick of random women to sleep with, and I can't say that I never took the opportunity. Dating a Marine is tough. We're possessive, aggressive, and generally feel the need to be in control of most situations. It wasn't really appealing to the kind of women that I was interested in; the kind of women that you took your time getting to know and actually developed a connection with. Being home for less than a month on average didn't really allow for relationships.

Eventually, it was Sophie Anne that introduced me to Hadley. Thinking about Hadley after everything I learned today made my stomach turn. _Fuck. If my family had told me the truth, if Sookie's family had told me how bad she'd been, would I have even met Hadley? _

Fate is a fickle bitch. There's no telling what path your life will take, and there's no way to know if one little change could make the world of difference. Not that being back with Sookie would have been a little change, but would it have been enough? _Great; like I needed more guilt about Hadley. _She'd been dead almost 18 months now, and sadly, it was longer than I had actually known her.

My Battalion finished our third tour of duty last week. What a fucked up mess that had been. We didn't lose anyone on our team; but there were civilian casualties, a friendly fire incident and all the shit you try to avoid. After a quick debriefing, I had spent a full day in a drunken haze with Cal before sleeping it off and pulling myself together to head for Bon Temps. I had come home under direct orders from Sophie Anne.

"Go home. See your sister. Get your shit together. You're no good to anyone the way you are," Sophie Anne said. "Figure out if you want Sookie back and go get her, or put the shit away."

It had been a slap in the face; but I knew she was right. I had dicked around for too long. My relationship with Sookie was a gaping wound that I needed to take care of; one way or the other. I had just shy of two weeks to figure everything out and report back to LeJuene, and Sophie Anne. From there, I was probably headed to some staging unit outside of the hot zone for a bit, and then, back to reality.

It was kind of spooky; Sophie Anne saying all of that to me before I actually ran into Sookie less than forty-eight hours later. But Soph had a history of making kind of strange predictions, you just never knew if what she said was going to come to pass or not. Like the goat.

One afternoon Soph came out to the patio and told me and Cal that she had this awful nightmare about a goat. We teased her and asked if it was trying to eat her or what the deal was. She got pissed and yelled at us, saying that it had just really freaked her out. There had been this skinny white goat where it shouldn't have been, and she was terrified of it in her dream. We laughed it off, because what else do you do when someone says there afraid of a goat for Christ's sake?

Then, about a month later he and I are back in some craptastic town in Iraq patrolling in the Humvee's and I hear Cal say over the headset, "Fuck, Northman. Is that a goat?"

Sure enough, tied to a broken light post is a fucking skinny white goat, where it shouldn't have been. I didn't even hesitate and shouted an order for everyone to get the fuck out of there. Shit started blowing up, bullets were flying and if we'd have waited another second we would have had a Hell of a time getting out.

So when Sookie bumped into me in the store today, I was absolutely stunned to see her; but at the same time, I got a major chill down my spine because Sophie Anne had done it again.

Sookie looked so good that my heart practically jumped out of my chest, and I struggled to form words. Sophie Anne had told me to decide if I wanted Sookie back and here she was, standing in front of me like a goddess. Decision made. I knew in my heart that I wanted another chance and I was going to see if there was anything left for us to salvage.

Almost immediately upon seeing her, my brain had gone haywire. All I could think was that it really was Sookie standing there close enough to touch. I wanted to smell her, to hold her, to feel the way that her small body fit perfectly against mine, and God, I wanted to make love to her again so badly that I was sure she saw my cock twitching. But Jason pulled her away from me so quickly that I couldn't even tell her how good it was to see her; to ask her how or where she'd been, and if she hated me.

The rest of the day and this evening had been just as damaging to my equilibrium. I couldn't seem to put my mind around everything that I had heard. It was clear to me that that Sookie had struggled as much, and most likely more, than I had over our break-up. Then Tara mentioned something tonight about Sookie almost getting engaged and it was all I could do not to corner Tara for more information. When she called him a cheater, I wanted to hunt him down and gut him like a fucking fish.

The time I spent with Sookie just made me want to pick up where we left off; as impossible as that would be. She had grown into an amazing, intelligent, and beautiful woman over the last seven years. I didn't really know if I deserved her; but I'd be damned if I was leaving Bon Temps without doing everything I could to win her back.

Pulling in to Aunt O's house, I let out a deep breath. _How the fuck could they do this to us?_

I realized tonight that over the years I had been fed select information about Sookie. I didn't talk to anyone from town except for my family and maybe Hoyt while I was away, so it had been easy for them to get their stories straight and decide what I should know. I was imagining this espionage like conspiracy, and I had to laugh because it was so unlikely, but I had a feeling it was exactly what had happened.

I opened the door and saw a very pregnant Pam sitting on the couch watching some chick flick. She and her husband Andre lived in Aunt O's old house on the outskirts of Bon Temps. Andre was out of town at a convention for the next few days.

"Pam," I said, "Just the person I wanted to talk to."

"Get me more ice cream and I'm all yours," she replied, having no inclination about the shit storm I felt like unleashing on her.

I grabbed the ice cream, a spoon, and a kitchen towel. I knew her system; towel wrapped around the container, spoon the ice cream directly into her mouth – no bowl.

"So, sis, it's come to Jesus time."

"Oh, God," she said, rolling her eyes, "What?"

"Sookie and I discovered tonight that you all lied; to both of us."

"Oh, shit."

"Yeah. Start talking."

"It wasn't my decision Eric. I was fifteen. I just went along with the plan."

"And what was the plan?"

"Something along the lines of not letting the two of you die from broken hearts."

There was a lot more that I was bursting to say, but she was exactly right; it hadn't been her decision. Both Adele Stackhouse and Octavia Fant had passed on, and I was certain that they were the master minds behind everything.

I nodded. "What about later? In the seven years since then you never thought to tell me?"

"Oh, I thought about it. But I also imagined your crazy ass reaction, ah la, now" she said waving her arm at me, "so I kept my mouth shut."

"Damn it Pam. You really suck, you know that?"

"Yup. I'm your sister, not your friend. So deal."

My brain was working on overdrive. I was wishing that I had somewhere to go workout because I just needed to work off some of this, angst.

"Don't get all quiet. That's usually bad," Pam said.

"Well, what the fuck, Pam? What am I supposed to say? To think, for Christ's sake? You all fucking lied to me… to her. We've both been fucking miserable. She didn't even know I called! All of this time she fucking thought that I walked away and never looked back."

She made a "Hmph" noise.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, I was wondering what Hadley would say right now."

"Don't talk about her. I cannot even begin to tell you how fucking fucked up I am thinking about that right now." I ran my hands threw my hair. "Pam, seriously, my life has been a complete fucking lie."

"Okay, drama queen. Your life has not been a lie. You were broken hearted for years. You put everything into your career, you've seen your friends die and you've been basically in Hell for three years, and then, somehow in the middle of it, you were finally able to care about someone again, and she was taken from you too. But Eric, just because Hadley died …"

"Pam," I said cutting her off.

"It doesn't mean you won't ever have another chance at love. Look around asshole. Here it is. Really. Open your eyes."

"Fuck off, Pam," I said, standing and going up stairs.

Lying down on the single bed of my childhood, I remembered all of the nights I slept here dreaming of Sookie and happy times; but tonight I just felt lost. I wanted to push all of the questions out of my head and focus on Sookie and how I could make her understand that I still loved her; but my mind wasn't cooperating.

"Fuck," I muttered and got up to do some crunches and pushups in my boxers. Exercise helped take my mind off of things. As I counted, I focused on the feel of my spine rolling against the hard floor and the burn in my abs.

I was flushed and sweaty when I finished, and probably needed a shower; but I just wanted to sleep and stop my brain from churning. A quick workout was usually enough to clear my head, but not tonight. Even after tossing and turning for God knows how long, I fell asleep dreaming of Sookie with empty arms and a heavy heart.

o0o0o*o0o0o*o0o0o*o0o0o

**A/N: **

**Please take a minute to tell me what you think. Who is Hadley and what was her relationship to big E? Any guesses? Hmmm…I'll tell you later, really! **

**You can thank S. Meadows for the sweaty little work–out. *grin* I think she suggested it as a joke, but I ran with it! **

**Thanks also to the SVM/Twi ladies (you're all starting to run together into one gruop which is really kind of cool) for encouraging me to write and for just making every day a little more fun through conversation and laughter. **


	5. Two Ex's and a Funeral

**Title: Leap of Faith**

**Chapter 5: Two Ex's and a Funeral **

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Southern Vampires characters or stories. All copyright belongs to Charlaine Harris.**

**A/N: **

**Thanks so much for your reviews of the last chapter. Just think - your previous reviews made me realize that you were desperate for information about Eric…so I added an entire chapter to fulfill your wishes! So – keep the reviews coming! **

**Oooohhhh – So many of you want to know about Hadley! Me too! Just kidding, I already know about her and Eric! Bwahaha! Anyway, you'll have to wait until chapter 6 to find out about her, just like Sookie. Ooooooohhhhh….. **

**As always, I bow to S. Meadows in amazement at her beta abilities. She's the real deal ya'll. She started a new story last week that is FANtastic! Check out The Tap Room: ****http://www . fanfiction . net/s/5664971/1/The_Tap_Room**** I am anxiously awaiting the next update. **

**And last but, not least - **

**WOOT WOOT! The news was announced this weekend that **_**Finding John Wayne**_** took third place in the Cowboy Up! Contest. Thanks to everyone that voted! You should go to the site and read the great reveal that Youbettago and KyssErikson put together to give us the news! http://www . fanfiction ****. net/s/5669557/1/The_Winners_and_The_Bet ****Congrats again to Texone for winning and to ChinaCatSunflower, Mis Construed, and Simba317 for rounding out the top 5. **

**Oh- and we're back to Sookie's point of view! **

Ooo~00~ooo~00~ooo~00~ooo~00~ooo~00~ooo

I woke in the morning to the smell of coffee, and, bacon? Coffee, Claude could handle, but bacon…Who was in the kitchen? I stretched and heard a crash and then glass breaking. Amelia was here.

I used the restroom, brushing my hair and teeth before heading for the kitchen. I could hear Amelia trying to sweep up whatever she had broken while mumbling under her breath. She was a total klutz, this was nothing unusual.

"Morning Amelia," I muttered on my way to the coffee pot.

"Sookie!" she said sweetly and blocked my path to give me a hug. "How are you this morning?! It's going to be a long day. Are you ready for this?"

"I'm alright Meelz. I'll get by. Thanks for coming down."

"I got Tray to cover for me at the restaurant," she said. Amelia was part owner in a restaurant in Atlanta. She was trying to buyout her partner Tray Dawson, but they kept falling into bed together and the buyout would be forgotten until she got mad at him again. "What can I do to help today?"

"Your job, Amelia," I said, waving a piece of bacon, "Is to keep Tara and Claudine away from Eric. I think if they all get into it today, it might be too much for me."

"Wait, what? Eric? Not _your_ Eric?"

"Yup. One and the same. I ran into him at the Wal-Mart. I know, what the Hell, right? Tara and Claudine have already brutally attacked him twice."

"Christ on a cracker, Sookie! What is he doing here? And, good Lord, why are you not curled up in the fetal position somewhere?"

"Thanks for the confidence, Meelz. I'm okay," I said, taking a seat at the table, "I'm fighting a constant battle between wanting to jump his bones and stake him in the heart for what he did to me, but it's all good."

"Sookie, seriously, are you okay?"

"I took some Xanax."

"Sookie!"

"Well, not just because of him! It's gonna be hard enough today. Jesus, Amelia," I said, shaking my head. "I'm just totally confused and I don't really know what to think."

"Well, duh! What did he have say?"

I bit my upper lip, then closed one eye and spoke fast, "He said that he tried to call me after he left and that seeing me now was something good." I opened my eye and she was still looking at me expectantly, so I kept talking. "Then he said that he wanted to spend time with me this weekend."

"What?"

There was no way I was telling Amelia or anyone else about him saying that he'd come back for me. My brain was still dealing with that bit of information, and further, the way he said it was so amazingly tender and intimate that I wanted to keep the thread of a promise between just the two of us.

I smiled, "It's not much, really, I know. He said that he needed something good to happen right now in his life and that seeing me brought everything back. He said that he thought I might have tried to get in touch with him after he left. When I asked him about it, he said he tried to call and that both of our families said I was okay."

"Holy conspiracy, Batman!"

"I know, right?!" I laughed, shaking my head and sipping coffee. Amelia had always been able to help me laugh through the pain. Sometimes I still couldn't believe she had wanted to be friends with the robotic freak I was when I first moved to Georgia. She claims that she saw my inner diva and has been working all this time to release her.

"He doesn't know about everything, does he? I mean, how bad things were?"

"I always thought he knew, that Pam had told him or something, but he said he had no idea. I mean, I didn't tell him too much; I'm not ready for that yet. But Tara and Claudine dropped some hints yesterday; so he knows it wasn't good."

"Well, I always thought you should have written him or something anyway. You needed some closure."

"Whatever!" I laughed, "Oh shit, I just remembered, Tara even said something about Alcide's proposal last night!"

"That dog!" Amelia laughed, and I knew she was referring to Alcide and not Tara. "Did she tell him what you said?"

"No, she said something about Alcide getting what he deserved, even if I did it by accident."

"Ha! Christ! Are you going to tell Eric?"

"Not until I have to. I gotta take a shower before Claudine gets up. I'll see you in a bit."

"I'll be here," she said. Then she hollered after me, "Sookie, you know you just can't forget everything that happened because he said he tried to call you, right?"

"I know mom."

"Good. When's Claude getting up? God, your cousin is hot."

Ooo~00~ooo~00~ooo~00~ooo~00~ooo~00~ooo

The funeral service passed in a blur. I ran out of tears somewhere around the time Claudine read Elizabeth Frye's poem "Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep." Tara and Lafayette drove me back to the house and we walked to the small cemetery for the internment. I hadn't thought about it, but no one had been buried here since Eric's Uncle Bill.

Jason and Hoyt had carefully trimmed the grass that had a tendency to become overgrown and now there were flower arrangements everywhere. The pastor spoke again briefly, we recited the twenty-third psalm, and it was suddenly over. Tara put her arm around me and helped me walk up to lay a rose on the casket. When I turned to go back to my seat I was surprised at the number of people that had come out to pay their respects to Gran. My back had been to everyone in the funeral home, so this was the first I got to see everyone. I had expected her DGD ladies, but I saw most of the teachers from the elementary school where Gran volunteered, the librarian from town, and good gravy, there was her mailman. I could only hope to have such a turn out when I passed on. There was something to be said for living in a small town.

Towards the back I saw Pam standing with_, oh my God_, Eric, in Marine Dress Blues, all six-foot plus of his blond Nordic glory. How was I supposed to defend myself against that? I made it back to my seat without tripping, but Tara still elbowed me with a dirty look. Seriously, his Dress uniform; she had to understand my reaction, he looked like a God. They say that women can't resist a man in uniform and, sweet mother of all that's Holy, I'm in the club.

Afterwards, we walked back to the house to socialize and eat some of the 12,000 casseroles that had appeared over the last few days. Hoyt's mom and Amelia were setting out the sweet tea and coffee while Jason and Tara and I formed sort of a receiving line at the front door.

Pam and Eric came through in the middle of the crowd. Jason and Tara behaved and accepted their condolences graciously. Eric leaned to put his arms around me but I pushed him back, "I can't," I said, tears filling my eyes. "If I let you hug me I'm done for and there are more people to come through."

He wiped the tears from under my eyes and nodded. "I'll be here when you need me," he said and went into the house.

It was overwhelming and I felt kind of numb towards the end. How many times can you say, "Thanks for coming," before it sounds fake, even if it's not? My feet hurt and my face was sore from trying to smile at everyone. There were only a few people left, and I was ready to sit down somewhere, when I looked up to see a black Escalade SUV with Georgia plates coming up the drive.

Amelia came out on the porch and she turned to me with a terrified look on her face. "Sookie, I don't know how he found out," she said.

"Really?!" I said, speaking to the heavens.

"Did I do something to deserve this?" I muttered as I walked out to meet him on the lawn. I didn't want him here today and I certainly didn't want him anywhere near Eric.

He stepped out of the vehicle, in a dark suit that made him look amazing. He was the anti-Eric, dark and mysterious to Eric's smoldering Viking good looks. There was no denying how handsome he looked, even if he was an ass.

"Sookie," he said, meeting me half way. "I had to come. I know how much Gran meant to you."

"Alcide, I…Thank you for coming, but I didn't think you'd ever want to speak to me again, and well, we didn't leave off on good terms."

"I know I didn't treat you the way you deserve. I was a fool. But I'm not here to talk about us; that can wait until we're home in Atlanta. I just wanted to pay my respects and be here if you needed me."

"I truly appreciate you driving all the way down here, but after what you did, what I said…There is no 'us,' Alcide. There hasn't been an 'us' in over two years."

"You didn't mean what you said…" he started; then something over my shoulder caught his eye and I heard a sound that could only be described as a feral growl come from deep inside his chest. This was the second man I'd heard growling in two days; however this time it was almost frightening. "Who the fuck is that?" he said.

I glanced back and saw Eric standing next to Amelia, still in his Dress Blues, casually watching us, leaning his hip against the banister.

"That's Eric," I said cautiously. I had no idea how Alcide was going to react, but I figured that it wouldn't be good, and I was right.

"Are you fucking kidding me? Merde!" he said, lapsing into Cajun to swear as he turned and stalked towards Eric on the porch. Eric stood tall, yet maintained his calm as Alcide approached.

Alcide stood in front of Eric, then seemed to change his mind and turned back towards me, "This fils de putain, it's him, no?"

My hand was over my mouth, he'd just called Eric a son of a bitch and I couldn't speak, so I nodded. I don't know what I expected, but it was not what happened next.

Alcide quickly walked back to me and started screaming about an inch from my face, "You fucking putain! I thought you made him up to get back at me. Fucking bitch!" My body was preparing for a slap, but he turned on his heel and stomped back to his SUV, spitting up gravel as he flew down the driveway.

I knew that Eric was livid over the way Alcide had spoken to me. The exchange happened so fast, and although he'd jumped the porch steps, he hadn't been quick enough to reach Alcide for a confrontation before he was gone. It was all just too much for me, this on top of everything else, and I started to sob. My legs would have given out if Eric hadn't scooped me up. He carried me into the house, past the guests and to my room. Setting us down in the oversized rocker; he rubbed my back and held me until I calmed down.

When I was merely crying as opposed to blubbering, he wiped away my tears. I grabbed a Kleenex from the nightstand and blew my nose with a loud honk. With a shy smile, I thanked him for bringing me somewhere private.

"Sookie," he said, shaking his head, "I know I said you could tell me when you were ready, but what just happened?"

"That," I said, "was the Cajun Tara mentioned last night."

"Okay. Cheating bastard, right? How does he know who I am, and why does he care?"

I put my arms around him; I couldn't look him in the eyes and say this.

"He knows who you are because I accidently called him Eric when he proposed to me."

Silence.

Then he pulled me back so we could see each other, "Sookie…"

My eyes welled up again, but there was a bubble of laughter in the back of my throat. "I didn't do it on purpose. Really. I didn't even find out about the extent of his cheating until after we broke up."

I put my head on his shoulder, still trying to hide. "He put this giant diamond solitaire on top of my Red Velvet Cake and when I saw it…" I paused, thinking, _oh shit, am I really going to say this_? Then I continued, "Shit. When I saw it, I gasped, and then I said your name."

"Oh, Sookie, why?"

"Probably because, the night you left…What made that night even worse for me, Eric, I thought you were going to propose."

He groaned, like he'd been punched.

"Fuck," he said, squeezing me harder, "Little Bird, I'm so sorry."

Drawing his attention away from how messed up it all sounded, I tried to be funny, saying, "Yeah, so, I guess I associate you with engagement rings or something, it just came out. I didn't even realize it until he was breaking dishes screaming at me."

"Sookie, I had no idea that's what you were thinking that night."

_Really, how thick could he be?_ Fat tears started rolling down my face; I had no control over my tear ducts anymore. I lifted my head to look at him and quietly said what that I had been dying to say for seven years. "Eric, what did you expect me to think? You had just graduated and you took me to a fancy restaurant. I was ready for us to take the next step and plan for the future, together. I certainly didn't expect you to say you were leaving."

"God. I am _so _sorry," he said, closing his eyes for a second and then putting his hands on either side of my face. "I don't even know how to apologize enough. You have to believe me, I didn't know."

This was not going to turn out well; if he was leaving, I needed him to do it now. I grabbed more Kleenex and blew my nose another time.

"Well, now you know. And you know that I am a complete train wreck that never got over you," I said, squaring my shoulders and preparing for the worst, "I feel like a complete idiot and you probably just want to get as far away from me as possible."

"What are you talking about? You're not an idiot. You're not a train wreck, and I'm not going anywhere. Okay? You can't get rid of me that easily."

Biting my upper lip, I looked at him with disbelief. _Could I trust him with my heart again?_

He smoothed my hair with his hand and slowly leaned forward to kiss me. It was the sweetest, most optimistic, and terrifying gentle kiss that I could have ever imagined.

Ooo~00~ooo~00~ooo~00~ooo~00~ooo~00~ooo

**A/N: **

**To quote S. Meadows, *Le sigh.***

**See, there is hope. I don't want you thinking this is too much of a downer. I mean, they've still got stuff to work out…but, there are more tender moments to come. As always…read and review. What could possibly happen next?! **

**Ooohhh – and I want to shout out to Zeewriter and Smfogleman, they broke my WC cherry last week. Dirty girls. *SMOOCH***

**And I added a couple of songs to the playlist...representative of chapters four and five. Check it at:** **http://www****. playlist. com/leapoffaith**

**Here's the poem that Claudine read at the funeral service: **

**Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep by Elizabeth Frye**

**Do not stand at my grave and weep,  
I am not there, I do not sleep.**

**I am a thousand winds that blow.  
I am the diamond glint on snow.  
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.  
I am the gentle autumn rain.**

**When you wake in the morning hush,  
I am the swift, uplifting rush  
Of quiet birds in circling flight.  
I am the soft starlight at night.**

**Do not stand at my grave and weep.  
I am not there, I do not sleep.  
(Do not stand at my grave and cry.  
I am not there, I did not die!)**


	6. Homework

**Title: Leap of Faith**

**Chapter 6: Homework**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Southern Vampires characters or stories. All copyright belongs to Charlaine Harris.**

**A/N: **

**I'm telling you now that you will probably need a Kleenex. Before you get totally pissed at me, this should be the last of the really sad chapters; although this one does have some sweet moments too.**

**As always, please read and review. I love reviews. *sigh* They make me smile. **

**Props must be given to S. Meadows for her betabilities. She's awesome sauce. (She taught me that phrase and I love it! IMHO, awesome sauces cover things like, Big Mac Sauce, Green Goddess Dressing, A1, chocolate fondue, and the like. Meads is as awsome as those. Just sayin'.) Any mistakes you find are all mine. **

**Meads - Glad to give you a nod to QAF this chapter, even if it was unintentional! *snicker*snort***

000oo~oo000~000oo~oo000

SPOV

The kiss was soft and lingering, with no urgency, but a whisper of hope. It was such a familiar rush, the tingle down my spine and the pooling heat between my legs. Kissing Eric was just, yeah, wow, there was nothing else like it. We pulled back and sat quietly, forehead to forehead, gazing at each other.

There was a knock at the door, and Tara waited a second, but came in before we answered. I forced my eyes away from Eric's gaze to see Lafayette coming in behind her. They carried cocktails and an entire pecan pie with four forks. I love pecan pie. I could consider climbing off of Eric's lap for pecan pie and a cocktail.

"Sooks, you made the right move hidin' out in here. Hoyt's momma is in RARE form. We left Amelia and Claudine down there to keep her in line," Lafayette said, talking with his hand and pursing his lips. There was no denying that he and Tara were related when you saw that look.

I took the gin and tonic Tara was offering and smiled when I realized she'd brought a beer for Eric too. G&T didn't really sound like it would go with pecan pie, but it had been a crazy day, Hell, a crazy weekend, and I didn't care.

"Let me go change," Eric said, moving me off his lap to stand. I felt the loss of our connection and briefly considered how screwed I was already, in terms of getting my heart stepped all over, then he hugged me and kissed the top of my head and the thought was lost.

Eric smiled at the three of us. "I can't drink in my Blues. I brought some clothes," he said as he pulled a garment bag out of my closet. _When did he bring that in?_ He saw the look on my face and continued, "I was hoping to stay for dinner, so I brought them for later, I hope that's alright."

"Oh, yeah, that's fine," I said, "I was actually trying to figure out when you snuck them in there more than anything."

He smiled and waggled his eyebrows. "I'm a Recon Marine. We're sneaky," he said, heading towards the bathroom to change.

_Sneaky alright, in a completely sexy way. Damn_. I needed to pull it together.

Tara and Lafayette sat on the bed and I went back to the rocking chair with a sigh.

"So," Tara said, "You okay?"

"I'm going to be okay. I just had too much drama. I can only take so much, ya know?"

Lafayette laughed, "Oh, I know, girl. Drama's my middle name, not yours!"

Since she'd broken the ice, Tara pulled out the big guns, asking what she really wanted to know, "What was up with ragin' Cajun?"

"Oh, Lord," I answered. "He wanted to pay his respects; but he flipped out when he figured out who Eric was."

"Pay his respects, my ass," she said, "Did his dick accidently fall into anyone while he was here?"

Lafayette put his hands on his hips and tried to look at his own ass, "Nope. I'm good."

We all burst into laughter and it felt great. Eric came in, raising an eyebrow.

"Had to be there," I said. "We waited for you. Want some pie?"

Eric hung his garment bag on the back of my door. Grabbing his beer, he came over and perched on the corner of the bed. "I'd love some pie," he said. "Are we eating out of the pan?"

"Unless you want me to feed you, Mr. Man," Lafayette answered, batting his eyelashes.

We ate, talking and laughing like old times. I could sense some bad vibes coming from Tara, but she was behaving. I knew it wasn't a truce; just a temporary retreat, but I enjoyed it anyway.

Lafayette had stretched out on the bed and was beginning to snore, so Tara slapped him awake. He woke with a startled squeal and called Tara a dirty hooker.

When I finished laughing at them, I knew that it was time to go and face the other mourners. I was not being a good hostess, and I prepared myself to mingle.

"Do I look okay?" I asked no one in particular.

Affirmative answers came from everyone, so I straightened my shoulders and cocked my head towards the door. "Shall we then?"

Lafayette took my arm with a grin, "We shall."

Tara and Eric followed behind as we made our way back into the main area of the house. Jason was sitting in the living room with Hoyt and Sam. Amelia and the cousins were in the kitchen with Mrs. Fortenberry, and Sheriff Bud Dearborn was asleep in an arm chair in the parlor. I started to apologize to my brother for missing everyone else, but he spoke first.

"Are you okay sis? You did the right thing, hiding out in there. You don't need to deal with any more shit today. We'll get this all cleaned up."

"Who are you and where is my brother?" I asked him. It seemed like the temporary peace with Eric had spread amongst my family and friends, but I didn't want to push my luck with Claudine. I was glad she was in the kitchen.

He gave me a smirk that had melted the panties off plenty of women, saying, "Hey, can't a guy be nice to his sister?"

I kissed the top of his head, "Thanks Jay."

"No problem," he said, standing and signaling Sam and Hoyt to get up as well, "We've got this."

Tara murmured something about helping too, and Lafayette loudly said that he would dry the dishes. It was kind of like someone yelling "Shotgun!" to ride in the front seat.

When Eric and I were alone, except for Bud's snores, and he drew me into his arms with a sigh.

"Let's sit," he said after a few minutes, pulling me down to the couch with him. I think he intended for me to sit next to him, but I climbed back on his lap like we'd been sitting upstairs. My arms instinctively curled around his neck, and I snuggled into his chest.

"Are you going to fall asleep?" he said teasingly.

"I might," I said, and I felt his chest rumble with quiet laughter.

"I'll be here when you wake up," he said softly.

"I know. That's why I sat on you."

And with a few deep breaths, I fell asleep wrapped in the warm arms that I had missed for years.

000oo~oo000~000oo~oo000

I woke feeling warm and disoriented. As my senses came back to me, I realized that I was draped completely around Eric's chest and still blanketed with his embrace. His head was leaning back at a horrible angle, resting on the back of the couch and his mouth was slightly open.

The sun was beginning to set and I wondered just how long we'd been asleep. I untangled my arm to check my watch; he made a little snorting noise closing his mouth, but didn't wake up. It was 5:30pm, which explained why my stomach was beginning to growl; all I had eaten for lunch was a few bites of pecan pie.

Mentally, I debated staying in his arms versus foraging in the kitchen. I must have been wiggling unintentionally, because I felt Eric's arms tighten and he groaned, "Please stop moving your ass Sookie, you're killing me."

"I'm hungry," I whispered.

He opened one eye and I realized how what I said could be interpreted.

"For food," I said, slapping his arm.

He rubbed his hands over his face. "Yeah, me too. Kitchen raid?"

I nodded and we were off.

There was a note from Amelia on the table saying that she'd gone to Merlotte's with Claude and Claudine. We were invited to join them if we wanted to, but Eric just shrugged and I said I didn't feel like it.

"Holy Jesus," Eric said when he opened the refrigerator. "How many casseroles did people think you needed?"

I laughed, "I know, it's a lot of food. What looks good?"

"Well..." he said as he moved things around, "I see Mrs. Fortenberry's pistachio pudding pie."

"Oohh yeah. Mmmm." It was a favorite at every potluck in town.

"But that's dessert," he laughed. "Oh, here's that taco pie that Mrs. Smith from the library makes and some lasagna that I think Bud brought."

We found a few other things that we liked and piled plates with what we wanted. Kicking our shoes off, we took our traditional seats at the kitchen table and dug in. We ate in easy silence and smiled at each other over our forks.

Suddenly, ACDC Thunderstruck was blaring in the kitchen, and I looked around, trying to figure out where it was coming from.

"Shit!" Eric said, startled, "It's my phone."

He fumbled in his pocket and flipped it open, saying, "Northman."

There was murmuring on the other end, and Eric's face lit with a smile. He nodded, saying, "Yes, I made it home safely. I know. I'm sorry I didn't call."

I was struggling with my emotions. Who could he be talking to? I couldn't hear the voice on the other end of the phone. He said he was single, but my heart was pounding; and part of me was pissed that I even cared who he was talking to.

He listened some more and laughed. "No, I actually don't need to go to Atlanta."

_What in the Hell?_ His eyes were sparkling with humor as he gazed at me, but I didn't understand, "What?" I mouthed.

He held up a finger telling me to wait and said into the phone, "Hang on a sec and I'll put you on speaker phone."

Putting his hand over the mouthpiece, he said to me, "Sookie, this is my best friend's wife. She's going to flip out when she finds out I'm here with you. Just play along, I'll explain later."

With the push of a button, and no time for me to process or react, he put the phone down and said, "Okay, Soph. You're on speaker phone."

"I hate speaker phone Eric and you know it," the voice said. It was a soft, feminine voice, with a southern lilt, but clearly a no-nonsense attitude.

"Sophie Anne, say hi to Sookie, she's sitting right here," Eric said.

"Whatever. Don't dick around with your friends for two weeks, asshole. I gave you an assignment," Sophie Anne snipped.

I laughed out loud, slapping my hand over my mouth, but I couldn't stop myself. Not many people stood up to Eric, and he was getting it good this weekend. He was, however, grinning from ear to ear, ignoring Sophie Anne's attitude and evidently enjoying completely confusing her.

"Who is that? Eric, don't mess with me," she continued.

He was holding back his laughter and he motioned for me to talk.

"Um, hi," I said. "This is Sookie Stackhouse. Eric said you're married to…"

I looked at him, and he mouthed, "Cal."

"Cal," I continued. "I appreciate you calling to check on him; he had a long drive I guess."

There was a muffled sound on the other end of the phone and then a man's voice came on the line.

"Dude, what did you say to her? She just handed me the phone and walked away. She looks like she's having a fucking stroke," the voice, that I was guessing was Cal, said with a laugh.

"Hey Cal. I didn't say anything, I just let Sookie say hi," Eric told him.

"Ha! Seriously? Wait, Sookie's there?"

"Yes. And you're on speaker phone, so don't say anything obnoxious."

"Oh, yeah. Fuck. That explains why Soph is freaked out. Um, hey Sookie, nice to meet you finally, sort of."

"Ah, hello to you to," I said.

This was a very strange conversation. These people seemed to know who I was, and I couldn't tell if they were upset that I was with Eric or not.

The look on my face must have matched the confusion in my head, because Eric spoke up, "Cal, I'm gonna go. Tell Soph I'm doing my homework, and I'll talk to you guys later."

"Right, man. Okay, bye Sookie." _Click._

Raising my eyebrows, I did my best Ricky Ricardo impression. "Lucy," I said, "You got some 'splainin' to do."

He laughed, and I saw a flash of happiness behind his eyes, and then it was gone. "I guess it's my turn to confess, huh?" he said.

I nodded.

"So, that's Cal and Sophie Anne. They, ah, are kind of my family away from here," he said. After a second he asked, "So, where should I start?"

"The beginning is always good."

"Thanks. Yeah, so, the beginning… I haven't really had good luck dating since you and I, well, I guess I haven't really tried," he said, running his hands through his hair.

"Anyway, long story, short; Sophie Anne told me before I headed home that I needed to decide if I wanted to find you and beg for another chance, or I had to get over you and get my head out of my ass. That was my homework assignment."

"Wow," I said. What a mess we were. How had we gotten this fucked up? And could we untangle everything and fix it?

"Yeah. When I saw you at the store, it took me a minute to figure out that I wasn't seeing things; that you were really there."

I smiled, "I felt that way too."

I thought he was finished, and even though there was so much more that we should talk about, I was nervous, so I gathered our plates in order to take them over to the sink. Eric stopped me, taking my hand in his on the table, and I stopped what I was doing. I met his gaze and he looked so sad…I realized that there was more to his story, and I was petrified to hear it.

"Sookie, I have to tell you something else."

"You really don't," I said. "It's been seven years Eric. A lot has happened, to both of us. You don't have to tell me everything."

Nodding, he said, "I know, but I need to tell you this." He took a deep breath and rubbed my hand. "I need to tell you about Hadley. I need you to know, I just…Shit. I feel so guilty about what happened to her; and with everything I found out this weekend. I just feel like, if our families had been honest with us it might never have happened. I feel like shit about it, so I need to tell you. Okay?"

"Eric," I said, squeezing his hand, "Please don't tell me if it's going to hurt me."

Taking his eyes away from our joined hands, he looked me in the eye. "Sookie, I really need to tell you this. It'll be okay," he said.

Seeing him there, looking so vulnerable and tormented, I felt awful for him. I never wanted to see him hurt this way. Eric and I had always had some strange magnetic chemistry, and at that moment, I knew that I had to be touching him, more than just our hands, to hear this story. Keeping hold of his hand, I stood and stepped closer to sit on his lap. He took me in his arms without a word and let out a ragged breath, telling me the rest of the story in a low, sad voice.

"Soph and I, we talk about everything. She's known about you and me, and how I left you, for a long time. At first she told me to find you, but I told her I thought you moved on, so she just dropped it. I think she knew that I just wasn't ready. Eventually, she got tired of seeing me lonely and tried to set me up with her friends, but it never worked out. Then I met Hadley at a party Soph threw when we were home on leave. She worked at the public library, and Soph had invited her specifically to meet me. Sophie has some kind of freaky premonitions, but that's an entirely different story."

He cleared his throat and continued, "Anyway, Hadley and I hit it off right away, and we spent a lot of time together before I shipped out again. We were actually home for six weeks that time, so we really got to know each other. I wasn't really interested in the long distance thing, but she said she just wanted to keep in touch, be pen pals and shit. She sent me some really great care packages. Candy and magazines and CD's and stuff, that shit's like gold over there," he laughed.

"We were gone for nine months, but when I got home, we just picked up where we left off, which is weird because we both knew I was only home for a few weeks."

"Eric, really, you don't have to tell me this," I said again, more for myself than him. I was so afraid he was going to tell me that he loved her, and my heart would break into a million tiny pieces. I had to know one way or another though; I couldn't let him continue without finding out.

In a whisper, I asked, "Did you love her?"

Sighing, he nodded his head, but said, "I should have. She deserved it. But I wasn't in love with her."

He kissed my forehead. "I need to tell you this Sookie. I just need to get it out. Okay? I mean, she's dead, and I feel like it's my fault," he said, barely pausing before he continued, but it was enough time for my mind to catch up.

Hadley was dead. Had I heard him right? I felt sick to my stomach. It was like seeing a car wreck. You don't want to watch, but you can't look away. Oh my God. How was he involved? Why did he feel so guilty? I wasn't sure I wanted to know, but he was still talking, and I couldn't stop listening.

"It was a couple nights before I was due to leave, and we'd gone to dinner with Cal and Soph. Then we were back at my place, just the two of us, and she was teasing me about writing letters, saying she would rather get e-mails because she couldn't read my handwriting."

Inappropriate as it may have been, I chuckled, because deciphering his writing was nearly impossible. Sometimes I had needed to decode his notes word by word before I could figure out what the entire message was.

"We were leaving for twelve months that time; going in to replace another Recon unit that had been on the front line for close to eighteen months. I knew that it was going to be a bad tour. There was just too much shit going on over there at the time. So I tried to tell her that I didn't want her to wait for me, that if she found someone else, she should, you know, go out with them. I think I was trying to warn her that I might not come back. But she got pissed at me."

I huffed, completely understanding how she had felt. He laughed for a second, but it was bittersweet.

"Then she said something; she couldn't have known what it would mean to me. Tears were streaming down her face, I remember, and she said that she would be there when I got back. That she would be ready when I realized that I was the only one waiting for my life to start while it had been passing me by. And it just hit me, Sook."

"I didn't want my life to start with anyone but you. The look on my face must have been bad, because she knew. She just knew. She flat out asked me if I left someone at home when I joined the Marines, and I couldn't lie," he said shaking his head.

"She said she was glad that she found out before things went any further. I kept saying I was sorry, that I never meant to hurt her. God it was awful. I mean, I never saw it coming. I'd told myself I was over you for so long, that I just hadn't found the right person, and all of the sudden I understood. Finally, she just got up, kissed me on the cheek and told me goodbye."

He stretched his neck and sniffed. "She left that night and got hit by a drunk driver. She was killed on impact."

"Oh, Eric," I said, hugging him. "That's not your fault."

"I shouldn't have let her leave. I should have driven her home. Shit, I shouldn't have started dating her in the first place."

Taking his face in my hands; forcing him to look at me, I said, "Eric, this is not your fault. You cannot put this on yourself. What if you had driven her home? It might have been you that died."

"Shit Sookie, I've felt so bad about it for almost two years. I've just been lost. And now, this weekend I find out that if everyone had been honest with us, I might never have met her, and she wouldn't have been there night."

"Eric, you're not God. You didn't do this to her. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Even if we had been together, the same thing could have happened to her. There's no way to know what would have happened if things were different, and we can't go back and change it."

Brushing my thumb over his lip, I asked, "What would she want for you? Would she want you to be miserable?"

His eyes were hazy, but connected to mine. "Before she left she told me that she wanted me to be happy."

I smiled, "Okay, then, let's work on that."

"Fuck," he said, drawing me back into an embrace while he pulled himself together.

God, this man, he pulled on every string of my heart. I felt like I was getting a glimpse of what he must have looked like right after leaving me, and it was one hell of an eye-opener.

000oo~oo000~000oo~oo000

**A/N:**

**Short and sweet – thank you for reading. I am humbled by the response to this story. **

**Please take the time to leave me a review. Any guesses on what will happen next?**


	7. The Last Straw

**Title: Leap of Faith**

**Chapter 7: The Last Straw**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Southern Vampires characters or stories. All copyright belongs to Charlaine Harris.**

**A/N:**

**As always, thank you so much to everyone for reading and reviewing. Thar be lemon zest ahead! (My daughter talks like a pirate all the time right now, it's rubbing off. Sorry.)**

**So, some of you saw a teaser of a chapter that was Eric's point of view covering the funeral and Alcide's visit, this chapter isn't it. It was basically a rehash of the last two chapters and you didn't learn anything new, and it made me insane. (Ask my tweeps and beta, it wasn't pretty.) **

**S. Meadows, who you know I think should be the next President of the United States, suggested posting it as an out take – and I think that's a fabulous idea. SO – as soon as I get this posted, I'm gonna fix up the edits Meads suggested and post it. (It will be a separate story, so if you haven't Author Alerted me, just look for it in my profile.) **

**Besos a mi amiga S. Meadows. She is the greatest beta since ice cubes, no wait, since the in the door ice cube and water dispenser. I love her that much. Any mistakes you find in here are mine. **

000oo~oo000~000oo~oo000

SPOV

As Eric held me, my mind jumped around like popcorn in hot oil. I wanted to forget everything and take him to my bedroom. I wondered why he didn't come find me after Hadley died. I considered spending every moment with him that I could; and I wanted him to leave me alone to think. No single thought stayed long enough for me to hold onto, so there was nothing coherent for me to say.

Letting out a deep breath, Eric released me and leaned back so we could face each other. He shook his head and licked his lips. "Wow," he said, "I _so_ didn't mean to unload on you like that. I mean I wanted you to know, but it just all came out at once. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," I said, smiling. "Sounds like you needed to tell someone."

"I needed to tell you."

I bit my lip. "Okay."

"I just needed you to know," he said quietly. "I mean, I can understand if you want me to go after hearing all of that."

_Oh, God._ He thought that if he told me about her death that I would blame him. Seriously, we were fifty shades of fucked up.

"Eric, don't be ridiculous," I said, putting my head on his shoulder. "It was not your fault."

After a few minutes, he asked, "Are you alright?"

"I guess so. It's a lot to take in Eric."

He genuinely smiled, "So was the Cajun."

"Touché."

"Sookie, you asked me, so, I have to ask too. Did you love him?"

"Alcide?" I said, "No. I thought I did for a while, but really, when he proposed, it was so unexpected. I think that probably was part of my reaction. I was so lonely and depressed, Eric; even three years ago when I met him. He wanted to spend time with me, it was flattering. I felt, wanted, for the first time in a long time."

I shook my head, continuing, "But I didn't love him. If I had, God, I can't imagine what that would have done to me. I mean, when I was telling my therapist about everything, I laughed about how many women Alcide had cheated with. I wasn't that upset about it. I knew we weren't meant to be together."

"Do you still see a therapist?" Eric asked quietly.

"Yeah, I do. It's not a big deal. I go about once a month. She really encourages me to try to get out and do things. I think I just use her as a crutch, really. I know she's there if I freak out about something, which hasn't happened in a while. She's going to flip out when I tell her that I've been spending time with you, though."

"Is that good or bad?"

I chuckled. "Probably both. We haven't actually talked about you in a while. I think she'll be worried about me. I'm worried about me; but, I can't just walk away. I mean, when you left last night, my chest actually hurt. I want to know if we can work, but I'm so afraid. God, I don't make any sense."

"No, you do. I don't want to push you. I don't want you to be scared. Shit, at this point I'm amazed you haven't kicked me out."

"I'm not kicking you out. We're a mess, you know that?" I laughed. Standing to take the dishes to the sink finally, I asked, "How about we stop talking about it tonight?"

"Okay," he said, hesitantly.

I wasn't trying to be seductive or anything; it was the second time I'd said something that could have totally been misinterpreted. Damn.

"I mean, let's go watch a movie. I think I left some DVD's here the last time I visited."

000oo~oo000~000oo~oo000

Claude, Claudine and Amelia returned a few hours later to find us asleep on the couch. I tried to introduce a sleepy Eric to Amelia, but they laughed, saying that they had met earlier while I was still greeting mourners on the porch.

The three of them headed upstairs to the guest rooms to get ready for bed, leaving us alone once again.

"I should go," he said.

"Yeah, you probably should."

"When can I see you tomorrow?"

"Amelia and I are going to start sorting through Gran's things. You could bring us lunch if you wanted."

"Alright," he said, pausing, and then he asked, "Sookie, when do you have to go back to Atlanta?"

That was a big question. My boss, Chow, had given me free reign; I could take the weekend off or be back in a month. He told me to give him a call at the beginning of the week. Foster Care is a tough business, there's a lot of burnout in the field, and Chow told me upfront that I could take a leave of absence if I needed it. He just hoped I'd come back to work eventually, because he didn't want to have to replace me.

"I'm not really sure, Eric. I need to call my boss Monday morning," I said, looking up at him as he sat on the arm of the couch.

My nerves were wreaking havoc on my system and my mind was still clashing with my feelings, but I knew I had to try. I had to see if what was left between us could be saved. "I think I might decide to stay here for the next week or so. How does that fit with your plans?"

He gave me a lopsided grin. "That sounds good. I'll be here about the same amount of time."

"Well, I guess that works out," I said, pretending that my two weeks didn't have anything to do with his scheduled leave.

"What's going to happen to Gran's house?"

"I don't know. Seems like Jason and I will sell it and split the profit; as awful as that sounds."

"You would sell it?"

I sighed, "I don't want to. I can't think about it until we hear the will. Gran just said she would take care of us as best she could."

"I should go," he said for the second time.

"Yes, you should," I laughed. "Go on. I'll see you at lunch tomorrow."

He put his hand out and helped me up; pulling me into his arms. I had spent a lot of time there today and I wasn't going to complain. Being in Eric's arms was a nice place to be.

Our faces gravitated towards each other, moving into a familiar position, and our lips met, caressing ever so lightly. I think I sighed, and his hands came up to my face. My hands were in his hair, and he softly traced the seam of my lips with his tongue. I moaned and my lips parted, allowing our tongues to meet, gliding together slowly. We kissed leisurely at first, but then things changed.

I pulled him tighter against me and felt his long erection against my stomach. My concerns about our pasts and future disappeared in a haze of pure lust, and I couldn't to stop myself from grinding against him. His hands moved downward, slowly caressing my arms, and finally, pressing my hips to his. I moaned and, without thinking about what I was doing, found my hands on the buttons of his shirt.

When my hands touched his chest, Eric muttered, "Fuck," breaking from my mouth. He placed little kisses on my eyes and nose, trapping my hands between us as he held me still. We stood, holding each other again, and I considered just taking his hand and going to my room.

While I was still making up my mind, he sighed, saying, "I'm going to leave now, or it's not going to happen. Just stay here and lock the door when I go, alright?"

I nodded, understanding that if I followed him to the door we would be kissing again and he would not, in fact, be going. He kissed the top of my head and released me, leaving me feeling suddenly cold and adrift. He was right; as much as I wanted to fall into bed with him at that moment, I wasn't really ready. 

"Lock the door, Bird," he said as he walked away.

"Okay," I replied, touching my lips, in a daze.

The door shut behind him, and I locked it right away, knowing that he was waiting on the other side of the door to hear the lock click. After the tumbler slid into place, I leaned on the door, listening to his footsteps going down the stairs, and his engine starting a few seconds later.

When I couldn't hear his car on the gravel drive any longer, I slid to the floor, hugging myself. I thought about what he had confessed to me, how he had been so worried about telling me about Hadley's death, and I just didn't understand it. How could I think it was his fault? While his guilt broke my heart, it showed me again what a caring person he was, whether he believed it or not.

Shaking my head, I realized that I was falling completely and helplessly back in love with him I knew it wasn't the smartest thing to do, and I knew, without a doubt, that I was going to regret opening my heart to him again at some point, it was inevitable.

Several hours later I was lying in bed, still awake, sorting through my feelings and memories. I heard a noise outside and my heart skipped with fear; then I heard it again. Realizing what it was, I smiled. I should have known; it had been so long I didn't recognize the sound of someone climbing the trellis.

The window slid up, and I heard a muffled curse as Eric hit his head climbing in. I felt his weight on the bed and heard his shoes hit the floor as he swore again under his breath at the noise they made. Then the bed jostled as he stood, and I heard his zipper slide down.

_Oh sweet Jesus._ I could picture him, in nothing but boxers, and it was an amazing image.He lifted the covers and slid in bed behind me, fitting his length along my body, spooning me as he'd done so many times before. Despite my pretending to be asleep, he felt my muscles tense, and smoothed a hand over my hair.

"Shh..little Bird. I couldn't sleep. Please, let me hold you. I'll be gone in the morning. Just close your eyes," he whispered.

Thinking that I could handle a good night of snuggling, I relaxed and savored both his warmth and his scent as they surrounded me. The last thing I remember is the feel of his breath on my neck and the sound of his heartbeat in my ear.

When I woke to the sun shining in my window, he was gone.

I wiped the sleep from my eyes and sat up in bed, smelling coffee and cinnamon. Mmmm. Amelia's still here. Cinnamon rolls.

I got up to head for the bathroom and the heavenly smell coming from the kitchen, and saw my cell phone sitting on the dresser, closed around a scrap of paper. Okay, I know I didn't do that myself. I opened my phone and saw a barely discernable smiley face and a carefully written phone number. _Awwww._ Eric left me his phone number.

000oo~oo000~000oo~oo000

Amelia and I were making good progress in Gran's old room. We made three piles: keep, donate and toss. We'd been working for several hours and the donate pile was particularly large, which made me feel good. Gran would have liked it too. Unfortunately, we couldn't actually get rid of, or give away, any of it until after the will was read on Tuesday.

We were sorting through boxes from the back of Gran's closet when Amelia found a box full of letters.

"Oh my Lord!" she said excitedly. "Do you think these are from your Granddaddy? Or maybe Gran had a beau that was sweet on her during the war!"

Taking a better look at them, she looked at me with confusion. "They don't look that old, Sook."

"Are they addressed to Gran? What are they?"

She flipped them over and her face got visibly pale. "Hell in a hand basket," she muttered, holding them out to me. "They're addressed to you."

"What?" Why was there a box of letters addressed to me in Gran's closet?

"I don't know what to say, Sook. I'll be outside."

_Sweet Shepherd of Judea. They cannot be what I'm thinking they are._ But when I saw his handwriting, and the way that each letter of my name and address had been painstakingly penned so that they could be recognized, I knew. It was a box full of letters from Eric. There were about twenty letters and cards, none of them opened. My hands were shaking and it was a good thing I was already sitting down. Tears quickly filled my eyes, and I held them to my chest, rocking myself.

I didn't hear him come in, so it surprised me when Eric pulled me into his lap, putting his arms around me. I couldn't stop crying to explain to him what was going on, how devastated I was by one more deception from my family, and how my heart hurt knowing that he had sent me all of those letters.

He rubbed my back and murmured in my ear, trying to calm me down, and I couldn't stop. After a few minutes, I think I was scaring him because he pulled me away from his chest and tried to hold my face in his hands. "Sookie, you have to tell me what's wrong. Please, I don't know what to do. Shit. How can I help?"

Trying to stop my sobs, I made some awful gasping sounds, but they just turned into more sobs.

"Jesus, Sookie. Are you hurt?"

I shook my head rapidly, and tried again to stop crying. I had no idea what I was going to say anyway, so I just held out the stack of letters that I had been clutching to my chest.

"Fuck," he muttered when he realized what they were. "When you didn't know about the phone calls I figured you hadn't gotten those."

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked, still crying.

"I didn't think she kept them, Sookie. I mean, I addressed them all here, but I never knew what happened to them."

Sniffling, I shook my head, "I just can't believe this. When did you start writing these?"

"After the first time I tried to call," he said, sighing.

"Eric, I just…this is too much. I just don't understand what they were thinking."

"I don't know Bird, but they thought they were doing what's best."

"How can you be so calm?"

"I've been pissed since I figured out you didn't know I called. I've had some time to process it all," he said, kissing my forehead.

Still holding the letters, I wrapped my arms around him and put my head on his chest. "Should I read them?"

"I don't remember what they all say. Probably a lot about how hard Basic was and that I hope you're doing well."

"These are they all from while you were at Basic?"

"No," he exhaled, "I wrote you off and on for about two years. At first I wrote because I was worried about you and I missed you. But I could always tell you anything, and I needed to tell somebody about everything that was going on in my life, so I just started telling you in the letters. I just kept sending them even though you didn't respond; it was cathartic to write shit down and mail it to you."

"I think maybe I don't want to read them while you're here. It might be, too much," I said, reaching behind me and setting the stack of letters up on the desk, then putting my arms back around Eric's waist.

"That's good. I don't think I want to be here when you read them," he laughed. Smoothing my hair with his hand, he kissed the top of my head. "Are you okay?"

"I guess."

"Do you want some lunch?"

"No," I sighed, not wanting to let go of him or move from the spot we were in. I was struggling again to process everything that I had learned in the past few days. The new information swirled around in my brain, and mainly, it added up to the fact that everything I believed about our breakup had been wrong. I mean, yes, he did break up with me, that hadn't changed; but all of the ill will I felt towards him for walking away and never looking back was unwarranted. He had looked back; in fact he had reached out to me, over and over.

"Do you want me to help you sort some things?"

"No."

"Okay," he chuckled. "What do you want to do?"

I sat up and took his face in my hands, I whispered, "I want to kiss you."

He looked back at me with wide eyes, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, and I touched my lips to his. Closing my eyes, I nibbled his bottom lip, and put my hands in his hair. His tongue slid along my lips and teeth, making its way to stroke my mouth. It was nothing like the kiss yesterday. This was seven years of fantasies and desperation translated into dueling mouths and roaming hands.

He was whispering between kisses, "Jesus Sookie. You feel so good. I've missed this. I've missed you." His words ran together, and I heard myself saying practically the same things.

Pulling his shirt out of his waistband, I ran my hands up his muscled chest and around his back to hold him closer. He kissed my neck while his hands went to the hem of my shirt. We untangled our limbs to get of our shirts off, and then we sat back, taking in the view of each other's chests. He cupped my breasts in his hands and I moaned. I had missed this, missed him so much. Gliding my hands across his torso, I leaned in to kiss him just below his ear. Lightly sucking his earlobe in my mouth, I accidently bit down when his thumbs rubbed over my nipples. He knew what I liked and rolled them between his fingers, tugging slightly.

I was going crazy, I needed more. Pressing against his shoulders, I pushed him back onto the floor and straddled his waist. This position fit us together perfectly and allowed us to thrust against each other. It was silly, dry humping like we were in teenagers, but it felt amazing. He unhooked my bra and tossed it to the floor. We were skin to skin from the waist up and I heard myself sigh as my nipples rubbed his chest. One of his hands slid up the back of my thigh into the leg of my shorts and he groaned, caressing my ass.

Arching my back I rubbed myself against his straining fly. He ran a hand down the center of my chest as he sat forward, taking one of my nipples in his mouth. Both of his hands were at my waistband working on the button of my shorts. I bit my lip and held his head to my chest, feeling my body humming, wanting Eric to touch me everywhere.

The noise of the zipper coincided with the sound of the screen door on the porch opening and closing. I leaned forward heavily, forcing Eric back to the floor with his hands caught between us and my breasts pressed against him.

"What the fuck?"

"Amelia," I whispered, trying not to laugh, and then she was yelling from the hallway.

"Sook, are you guys okay?" she hollered as she walked into the room.

"Sweet baby Jesus! My eyes! I guess you're alright. I'll be outside, again," she said laughing. I heard her muttering about needing a cocktail and a cigarette after seeing us as she walked away.

"We'll be out in a minute," I yelled after her.

We laughed for a few seconds, and then Eric squeezed me tight in a bear hug.

"God you feel good in my arms," he said.

"It feels good to be in your arms."

"You're not freaking out?"

"Nope. Not right now at least."

"Good," he said. "I kind of am though."

"You are?" I asked. _What was he panicking about?_

"Yeah. Shit, Sookie. When the fuck did you start wearing thongs? Because really, I'm not going to be able to think about anything else for the rest of the day."

**A/N: **

**Awwww. See, they're getting happy and horny! Please take time to push the little green button down there and tell me what you think. What do you think is going to happen with the house? Do you think Sookie could actually sell it? Let me know. **

****The phrase "fifty shades of fucked up" is a nod to another FF author, Snowqueens Icedragon. I love her story. I'm addicted to it. **


	8. Full Circle

**Title: Leap of Faith**

**Chapter 8: Full Circle**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Southern Vampires characters or stories. All copyright belongs to Charlaine Harris.**

**A/N: **

**Thanks so much for your reviews! Thanks for reading the outtake too, I appreciate your feedback. I think that ultimately, chapter six should have been told from Eric's perspective to begin with and then I wouldn't have gotten all wiggy, but it's all good. **

**Big, huge, monster-truck sized thanks to S. Meadows for being the best beta evah! (She got this back to me in record time – she is lookin' out for ya'll!) **

000oo~oo000~000oo~oo000

EPOV

Holding Sookie in my arms, laughing, I could pretend that the shit I'd seen and the hellish warzone I'd lived in the past few years didn't exist. _Fuck_, especially if I imagined her wearing nothing but a thin scrap of a thong under her shorts. She'd always been a boyshorts girl before, and I had thought that was sexy, but this, I was fucking hard just thinking about it.

Kissing my chest, she giggled. "We have to go out there."

"Then you need to stop that or we're never leaving this room," I said, rolling us over so that I was on top of her.

"Oh, that's not going to help!"

"I know," I said, running my nose along her neck and gently rubbing my cock against her center through our clothes. "I'm just afraid that when I let you go I'll wake up or something crazy and this won't be real."

She bit my shoulder and I tried to pull away from her. "Fuck. Ow. What was that for?"

"You're not dreaming. Now let me up so I can find my clothes. We should go have lunch with Amelia, and I think my cousins will be back soon from their trip to the spa in Shreveport."

"Shit, I thought they left."

"Sorry pal," she said, hooking her bra and pulling on her shirt. "They're staying until the will is read. They're here two more days."

Pulling my shirt on, I muttered something about Claudine being a bitch under my breath.

Sookie started for the door and I grabbed her hand, "Wait, just one more kiss, for the road."

Pulling her against my chest, I took her face in my hands and planted a searing kiss on her. If I was going entertain myself with thoughts of her ass in that thong all day, she needed to have something to think about as well. I got a little caught up in the moment and the kiss last longer than I intended, but eventually I pulled away from her, kissing her nose and stepping back.

She looked at me, dazed and blinking. I waggled my eyebrows, took her hand, and headed for the porch.

Amelia was on her cell phone when we joined her outside. Sookie sat with her on the stairs and I took a seat on the walkway in front of them. It was a beautiful day and the sun felt good, shining on my face. The sun here was so much different than in Iraq. Over there, the dust and heat were suffocating; but here, in Louisiana, the sun was simply warm on my skin and there was just enough breeze to prevent you from getting too hot. Sookie and I watched each other, smirking, waiting for Amelia to finish her call.

Hanging up the phone, Amelia looked at Sookie and me, giving us what I imagined to be her "shame on you look," but it failed when she burst out laughing.

"Christ on a bike! I guess you two kids are making up, or out, or whatever!"

I really liked her. I got the impression that Amelia had kept Sookie's spirits up a number of times over the years.

"Sorry, Meels. We're figuring things out as we go," Sookie said with a smile.

"Yeah, well next time you _go_ there, close the door," Amelia teased. "So, soldier, what did you bring us for lunch?"

"Subway," I said. "I figured there was enough other food here that we could find side dishes if we needed."

We wandered into the kitchen, piecing together lunches out of subs and leftover potluck salads from the day before. Amelia entertained us with stories from the restaurant as we ate.

We were washing our dishes when Claude and Claudine got home. Claudine followed her brother into the kitchen wearing gigantic black sunglasses that made her look like a fly. Carrying herself like a stereotypical rich bitch, she had her oversized handbag on her arm with her wrist cocked to show off her perfect nails and sparkling rings.

Looking down her nose, she started in on me, "What the fuck are you doing here?"

"Enjoying a nice lunch with two lovely ladies," I said sweetly.

"Isn't it about time for you to leave again or something? Don't you have some war to go fight that's more important than Sookie?"

Closing my eyes, I clenched my teeth and bit back a response. I pictured myself, standing up so fast that I knocked over the chair and punched her in the fucking mouth. She deserved it.

The sound of a chair actually scraping across the kitchen floor startled me; Sookie was standing, fiery eyes full of tears. "Enough," she said angrily spat. "You're such a bitch, Claudine."

Sookie's footsteps were the only sound as she walked out the back door.

"Look what you did," Claudine said, giving me a dirty look.

_Fucking bitch_. I shook my head and stood to follow Sookie. "You need to be gone when she gets back to the house," I said over my shoulder as I went out the back door.

I found Sookie in one of her favorite spots way out in Gran's yard, almost to the cemetery, sitting under an ancient tree, with her arms curled around her knees. She wasn't crying, in fact, she looked pissed. Taking a seat across from her on the grass, I looked at her expectantly, because I knew she had something to say.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have stormed out like that."

"Don't apologize to me. I wanted to deck her."

"Thank you for not actually doing it," she said with a sigh.

"What's going on? She's always a bitch to me. Why are you upset?"

She put her head in her hands, tugging at her hair. Very quietly, she said, "You haven't told me what's happening in two weeks."

"I have to go back to base," I answered equally as quiet.

She looked at me through sad eyes, "And then what?"

_Fuck_. Suddenly, we were facing the one conversation that I never wanted to have with her. Meeting her eyes, because she deserved nothing less, I answered her, "And then in another week or so I leave for a year."

"A year?"

"It's a done deal Sookie, there's nothing I can do. I wish I could, but the papers are signed."

I moved forward, so my knees straddled hers and I took her hands. "What do you want me to do? Do you want me to leave? I'll walk away right now if that's what you want."

She gasped, looking at me hard, and then lit into me. "How dare you assume that I want you to leave? It didn't work out so well for either of us last time."

"I just want to protect you. If leaving will do that, it'll fucking kill me, but I'll do it, for you."

"Protect me? That's what you think you did before? Fuck you, Eric."

"Sookie."

"Don't _Sookie_ me," she said, exasperated. "You have no idea."

"Then tell me. If you don't want me to leave now, why are you so upset?"

SPOV

_Why was I so upset? Shit._ Because Claudine was exactly right. He was leaving again and the future was a mystery that felt like a black hole of despair waiting to suck me in. I had no idea what he wanted from me, or what he thought was next for us. I was terrified of being left behind again, of disintegrating into nothingness when he walked away from me.

"Because you're going to leave and you don't know how hard it's going to be for me."

"It's going to be difficult for both of us."

I sighed. I knew it would be tough on him, at least I hoped it would. "I know, you're right. It's just that, well, you've heard that I was pretty bad when you left before, but I don't think you really get it."

"Then tell me," he repeated, putting a hand on my cheek.

The only thing I had told him so far was that I had been a mess when he left, and that was such a simplified description of the devastation I experienced. Meeting his eyes, I exhaled and told him about the wreckage he'd left in his wake.

"Eric, I couldn't function when you left, literally. Jason found me on the porch swing the next morning. I didn't say a coherent word to anyone for close to two days," I said, pausing. Looking down, I focused on my hands, and continued.

"As time went on, I just struggled to get by. Every time I thought it was getting over you, it didn't work. Like going back to school; I didn't even graduate from Tulane. Did you know that?" I said, glancing up to see the confusion in his eyes.

"I stayed in New Orleans for about a week and that was all I could take. You were everywhere. Wherever I went I thought about you and I was dying inside. I transferred to UGA up in Athens, that's how I ended up in Atlanta."

"God. Sookie, I'm so sorry," he said, taking my hands in his. "I feel like I owe you more than that, but I don't know what to say."

"I knew that you would be upset. I knew that it would be hard, on both of us, but I _had_ to go, and I didn't want you to have to worry about me," he continued. "I thought that after a couple of weeks we'd both be okay. Gran and Jason said you were fine and I wanted it to be true."

Pausing, he put his hands on his knees and rolled his shoulders back. He cracked his neck and spoke again, "I just…I buried myself in the Marines to forget about you. I worked hard and did well. Time just ticked by, but I wasn't really living. And then I went to Iraq and, it was … I mean, my training was tough, but it was nothing compared to that. The fighting, the desert, the death; Jesus, it was awful. They try to prepare you, but Sook, the things I saw; you didn't need to be a part of that." He shook his head, his mind made up for both of us.

"I didn't need to be a part of that?" I said flatly. "Do you think that just because you broke up with me that I didn't worry about you? That every time I heard the casualty count or about the fighting over there I wasn't terrified?"

He looked at me, a little shocked. "I didn't think about it that way. I mean, I'm sure you were worried, but you didn't need to know all of the gory details. I couldn't have told you about most of the things that happened, and I still can't."

"No, you didn't share anything with me," I said, my anger rising to the surface again. "I had to imagine what was happening. I had to wonder where you were and if you were alive. No one told me anything about you. The only thing I ever knew was that you were in Iraq. Jason said, and I quote, 'I was afraid that I'd have to tell you later that he was dead and I couldn't do that if I hadn't told you he was there first.'"

Eric looked like he wanted to interrupt, but I was on a roll. "I don't know your rank or what your job is in the Marines. I can probably count on one hand the number of times anyone mentioned your name to me after the first week you were gone. It's like everyone is afraid I'll break if I hear your name. They don't even talk about you in front of me. But you know what? I still worried about you every single day and no one ever gave me an ounce of reassurance. So your brilliant little plan to protect me from everything didn't work." Damn. That felt good.

"Jesus," he said taking in my rant. "I didn't want that."

"Well, that's what happened," I snapped. But that was all in the past. Although it felt raw and new this weekend, it was, in fact, history. I knew there were more details to consider, but when Claudine made that comment about him leaving again, I felt something inside of me crack. There was no keeping him here with me forever, not yet, but there was right now, and I knew that we were meant to spend it together.

"You can't keep me in the dark this time. I have to know what's going on," I said softening, and I saw his face relax. "I don't want you to leave now, Eric. I…shit. You need to understand; when you leave this time, I have to know that you're coming back. I mean, I know there's a chance that you might not; and I don't even want to think about it, but, I have to know that you want to come back, that there's only one thing that would keep you away this time."

"Sookie, I will come back to you," he said, pulling me into his arms. "God, you have no idea how much I love you."

"I think maybe I do," I sighed, putting my head on his shoulder.

Rubbing my back he spoke softly, "The rest of it, Bird, is just details. We'll figure it out. I'm just so happy to have you right now and to know that you'll be here when I come back."

"I think I've always been waiting for you," I whispered.

We sat together, under my favorite tree, holding each other and, in my case, thinking about our future. After a while, I was starting to get uncomfortable. We were scrunched up on the ground, my butt was hurting and Eric's knees were jutting out at crazy angles. I giggled at the absurdity of it.

"What?" he mumbled into my hair.

"You're like a giant, all folded up around me."

He moved my hair to the side, and rubbed along my neck with his nose. "Folded up around you is my favorite place to be," he whispered.

It amazed me that after all this time, something as simple as that could make my body tingle, or maybe it felt so good because it had been so long. Either way, I wanted more. My hands ran up his chest and he lay back, pulling me down on top of him in the grass. Stretching, I rubbed myself against his chest and kissed him. He grabbed my hips, moving me so that I rested against his arousal. I had dreamed of him, off and on for seven years and now he was here, beneath me, kissing me, touching me; it was so much better than my dreams. I felt myself getting wet, and when he rocked his hips against me; I think I actually whimpered.

His hands lifted my shirt, I sat up long enough to pull it off, and then he was unhooking my bra, tossing it to the side as well. The feel of his warm hands on my flesh was heaven. We were kissing again, our tongues stroking each other into a frenzy.

"Jesus," he muttered as I sat back, sliding against him to remove his shirt.

Kissing his chest, I licked and nipped at one of his nipples while he pinched and tugged at both of mine. Moaning, I gave up all pretenses and started moving against him in a primal rhythm, wishing our clothing would disappear. His hands had moved to work at my fly and then pushed my shorts down over my hips as I moved to pay attention to his other nipple.

I felt wanton and free, like I was releasing some inner sexpot that had been hiding inside of me. I would have worried that he didn't like it or thought I was too forward, but the way he thrust against me told me he was enjoying it.

He pushed my shorts as far down as he could then rolled us over to look down at me. His eyes were dark and hooded, gazing at me with desire that made me reach for his waistband. My shorts caressed my skin as he slid them down my legs. We were tangled limbs and reaching hands. I was able to get his zipper down, but he moved out of my reach, kissing his way down my stomach to the top of my thong.

"Fuck, Sookie. Black lace with little bows?" he said, sliding a finger under the elastic on one hip.

Biting my lip, I nodded.

"Are these for everyday?" A finger slipped under the elastic on my other hip.

"Can we talk about this later?" I asked, arching my hips toward him.

"Did you want to talk about something else?" He licked my belly, his tongue following the top of the fabric, and then he grinned up at me.

_Talk_? I couldn't even think. Shaking my head, I put my hands in his hair. "No talking."

"Christ," he growled, and I felt the elastic snap on both of my hips as he ripped my underwear apart and threw it aside. It was so unexpected and unbelievably sexy. He rubbed his face against my tight curls, mumbling to himself, as he slid back to stretch out between my legs.

Using his thumbs he spread my lips and ran his tongue through my wetness in one long stroke. "Fuck, Sookie," he said, meeting my eyes. "I've dreamed about this. You taste the same, like summer and honey."

Licking his lips, he smiled and moved his attention back to my center. His tongue circled my clit as he slid two fingers inside of me. I managed to say his name as I writhed in the grass. He put his free hand on my stomach, holding me in place so he could continue ravaging me with his tongue and fingers. My nerves were burning; heat started in my belly and moved outward with each flick of his tongue. He drew my clit between his lips, sucking on it, and I came undone, calling his name and praising the Lord.

Placing light kisses along my stomach, he worked his way up my body while I caught my breath. Taking my head in his hands, he kissed me, sweetly and deeply. Our bodies shifted and I felt his erection on my stomach. _Sweet Jesus._ He'd shucked his pants while I was in an orgasmic haze.

Leaning back, he asked the question with his eyes, and I pulled him back to me, kissing my answer. He ran the tip of his cock through my wet folds, and we both groaned. Pushing into me slowly, he dropped his forehead to mine.

"You're so tight. Jesus. I don't want to hurt you."

"I will kill you myself if you stop now," I said, running my hands down his back to pull at his hips.

Kissing me, he created a distraction as my body stretched around him. Easing his way into me slowly, we both sighed when our pelvises finally touched. We were still for just a moment, my heart was pounding. "Sookie, I can't… I have to...Jesus."

"Move."

"Fuck," he said, and then he did. Pulling back, he made long strokes that I swore touched every nerve ending in my body. I moved with him, matching him thrust for thrust and panting.

"Yes, yes. Oh God yes," I chanted as he picked up the pace. I felt myself clenching around him and was damn glad we were far away from the house as I cried out and came. He moved faster and harder, plunging into me and drawing out my orgasm until his muscles tensed and he buried himself in me, grinding out his release.

Collapsing on me, I felt his weight for only a second and then he rolled us over, still sheathed inside me, so that I lay on his chest. He rubbed my back and kissed the top of my head as we lay still. We were quiet, and I began to think about what we had just done. I didn't regret it, that wasn't the issue, but despite his words earlier, I wondered if this truly meant the same thing to Eric as it did to me.

"Stop," he said, murmuring in my hair. "Don't analyze this. I love you."

Knowing that we had come full circle, finding our way back to each other, brought tears to my eyes. I kissed him, just over his heart, and he squeezed me. I wanted the moment to never end.

The silence was broken by a loud wolf whistle. I sat up, looking for my clothes to cover myself.

"If that's Amelia, this better be good," Eric grumbled.

"Hey ya'll!" we heard Amelia yell and I snickered.

"Put your panties on and get up here!" she continued. "Eric's cell has been ringing off the hook. I gave up and answered it. His sister's in the hospital."

**A/N2:**

**Ooooh! A little makin' love in the green grass for ya! Woot! (I added Brown Eyed Girl to the playlist if you want to listen to it. ****http://www**** . playlist . com/leapoffaith )**

**Take a second to leave me a review and tell me what you think. The will gets read in the next chapter. What kind of surprises do you think Gran has in store for us? Hmm…**

**Thanks again to Meads for her hard work. Just like E can't say sorry enough, I cannot thank her enough. So, thank you girl – to infinity. **

**And finally, a big shout out to my SVM ladies, you know who you are. Thanks for keeping me motivated and getting so worked up over little teases. You were so excited to know that E got laid, it cracked me up! **

**Oh, and, if you read twi-fic as well, please go check out my FML entry. It's been up over a week and only has five reviews, it needs some lovin'. **

**http://www**** . fanfiction . net/s/5706197/1/Foul_Balls_and_Phone_Calls**


	9. Inheritance

**Title: Leap of Faith**

**Chapter 9: Inheritance**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Southern Vampires characters or stories. All copyright belongs to Charlaine Harris.**

A/N: Thanks again for all of the reviews. They are like little hits of a wonder drug that keep me motivated to write more!

S. Meadows beta'd this so fast it made my head spin. Me thinks, my little beta friend is liking this story… I keep telling you what a great beta Meads is, have I told you what a marvelous person she is as well? She is one bodacious babe, but sometimes she forgets, so I keep reminding her. *Love you!*

HOLY TOLEDO! I was featured twice last week on Blood Bonds Blog! I was interviewed with the other Cowboy Up winners and LOF was the Fan Friday featured fiction! Here are the links:  
http://bloodbondsblog . com/2010/02/09/cowboy-up-extravaganza/

http://bloodbondsblog . com/2010/02/12/fan-friday-no-10/

Big smooches to Lil and Simba!

000oo~oo000~000oo~oo000

EPOV

Sookie's eyes went wide at Amelia's words, and I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. We scrambled for our clothes and dashed towards the house.

Amelia was standing by my car holding my keys and my phone. "She's with her friend Felicia at the hospital in Monroe. They were out shopping for the baby's room, and she started having some real strong contractions."

I had been in such a rush to get back to the house, but I froze at the word contractions. Pam wasn't due for another two months, and Andre wouldn't be home until Wednesday. Nothing in my life had prepared me for the fear I felt for my sister. I've been to war, I've watched people die, hell, shit blowing up all over the place hardly phases me, but this, this scared the shit out of me.

Sookie pulled my face towards her and kissed me lightly. "Go," she said. "I'll get cleaned up and lock the house; we'll be right behind you."

Taking her in, I couldn't help but smile. Her hair looked like a birds nest and her clothes were wrinkled. I gave her a quick kiss in return and was off.

I made it to the hospital in record time. Checking the Emergency Room first, I found Felicia there in a waiting room. "Fee, is she okay? What's going on?"

"Shit. I don't know. They took her back and told me to wait out here. She didn't argue with them and that scared the shit out of me. Pam, quiet? That's just not right."

Patting her knee, I tried to reassure her. "Let me see if they can tell me anything," I said, going to the registration desk.

The nurse was polite, saying that I could go back to the exam room with Pam since I was her immediate family. I let Felicia know that I'd give her an update as soon as I could; I also told her that Sookie and Amelia were on their way before joining Pam.

She was lying on her side, hugging a pillow, and watching television when I went into her room.

"Are you okay?" I asked, pulling a chair up beside the bed.

She nodded and sniffled. Biting her lip, she looked at me. "They gave me some drugs to stop the contractions. The doctor said not to panic, since the drug seems to be working, we should be alright. I'll just have to take it easy from now on."

"Do they want you to stay?"

"No, the doctor said they want to keep an eye on me for a few hours but if I'm okay, that's it. Then I'll go to my regular doctor in the morning."

"That's good. Did you call Andre?"

"Yeah. I called him again after I talked to the doctor. He's going to finish up come and home tomorrow. Can you take me to my appointment? And maybe, not go out tonight? I kind of don't want to be alone."

"Of course. I'll buy you pickles and ice cream or whatever you need."

"Thanks E. I'm glad you're here," she said using her nickname for me from childhood. She called me E and I called her P. I think she started it because we called Octavia Aunt O.

"Me too, P.," I said smiling. "I'm going to tell Felicia you're okay. You want me to sneak her back here?"

"No, I don't really want to see anyone right now. I kind of just want to go to sleep for a while."

I leaned in, kissing her forehead and she wrinkled her nose at me, it was a good sign. Walking into the waiting area, I saw Sookie and Amelia sitting with Felicia. They all stood when I got closer, talking at once.

"She's okay girls. They gave her something to stop the contractions, and Andre will be home tomorrow."

They were all relieved and started planning how they could help Pam out in the next two months. I thanked Felicia again for getting Pam to the hospital and waiting for me. She gave me a big hug and headed home.

"Amelia, do you mind if I talked to Sookie for a moment?"

"No, not at all. I'm glad Pam's okay. I'll wait in the car." she said.

"I'll be right out," Sookie told her.

I pulled Sookie into my arms and kissed the top of her head. I'd done that a lot in the last few days. I think it was more because I loved the smell of her than anything else, but she just fit so perfectly in my arms that I couldn't resist.

"I'm sorry I had to run out on you."

"Eric, don't worry about it," she said, hugging me tight.

Stepping back, but keeping my arms around her, I smiled. "Pam doesn't want to be alone tonight, and to be honest, I don't want her to be alone either. I think I'm going to be tied up until Andre get's back."

"It's okay. The cousins will be around and Amelia is leaving in the morning. This will give us a chance to hang out. And Amelia won't have to worry about shielding her eyes," she said with a wink.

"Ha! I doubt she's scarred for life!" I joked. Hugging her again, I said, "I love you. I'll call you later."

She stood on her tip toes and kissed me just below my ear. "I love you too, and it feels really good to be able to say that again."

I stood there, smiling like an idiot, watching her cute little ass walk out to the parking lot. I wondered for a second if she'd put on any underwear, since the destroyed black thong was in my pocket.

Eventually I drove Pam home, listening to another round of complaints about my "low rider" Corvette. I promised to drive the minivan to her appointment in the morning, even though it turned my stomach to think about it. Owning a minivan was on my "never in my lifetime" list.

We ordered pizza and watched a movie. Pam popped antacids all night, but said the pizza was worth it. I called Sookie, and she told me they were playing board games and raiding Gran's liquor cabinet.

I wasn't really tired, so I changed into some gym shorts and went downstairs to put in a few miles on Pam's treadmill. I ran hard, pushing myself to feel the burn in my legs. When I finished I was pumped up, so I dusted off my old free weights and did a few reps and some crunches before turning in. I needed to get to the gym in Monroe for a better workout.

Pam and I repeated our coffee conversation in the morning as she sipped her apple juice. She had apparently guzzled her only allowed caffeine as soon as she got up and pined for it the rest of the day like a junkie. I did not envy pregnant women at all after listening to Pam's list of complaints.

Waiting in the lobby while Pam saw her doctor, I felt totally out of place surrounded by pregnant women of all sizes. I had to admit though, I thought about what it would be like to visit an obstetrician like this with Sookie as I watched a couple filling out some paperwork. At that moment, I thanked every kind of God I could think of for giving me another chance with her.

The rest of the day was spent driving Pam around. We went to lunch, twice, because she couldn't eat very much at one sitting, and to various stores, where I would run in to get "just a couple more things" while my sister waited in the air conditioned minivan. By the time we got home I was mentally exhausted and Pam was dead on her feet. Andre was due home in a few hours, so Pam went to take a nap. I made pasta for dinner along with pistachio instant pudding, because my sister said she'd cut off my balls if I didn't make it for her. Pregnant Pam was scary.

Andre got home as we finished dinner. He laughed when he saw the pudding on the counter, "Did she threaten your life or your manhood if you didn't make it?"

"Manhood."

"That's how she usually suckers me into it too." He thanked me for taking care of Pam and driving her "all over Hell." Clearly today's excursion was a regular route for her.

We cleaned up the kitchen and I chatted with Andre, talking about some of the newest weapons and gear that my Recon team had been using and where I thought I'd be going next. My cue to leave came when my brother-in-law started massaging Pam's feet. She sighed, stretching out on the couch, and I knew they wouldn't mind if I made myself scarce. Excusing myself, I grabbed my keys and headed for Hummingbird Lane.

When I got to the house, Sookie and Claude were watching Buffy on DVD. They told me Claudine was upstairs reading, _or casting spells_, I thought, _witch_. Amelia had left in the morning. I sat next to Sookie and settled in to join them, appreciating any opportunity to spend with her.

The episode finished and Sookie stood, reaching for my hand, saying goodnight to Claude. She led me to her room and closed the door behind us.

"Hi," she said, putting her arms around me.

"Hi," I said back. "Did you have a good day?"

"Yeah. I went through some more of Gran's stuff. I called my boss."

"What'd he say?"

"He said not to worry about anything. I told him I'd call him later this week, after the will is read. I'm just thinking if we need to sell this house it won't be ready in two weeks."

"That's probably true," I said, caressing her back.

"I had a talk with Claudine too."

"Really? How'd that go?"

"Alright. I told her to keep her shit to herself, for now at least. I just can't take it."

"I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry?" she asked sincerely.

"I don't know. I'm the one she doesn't like."

Putting her hand on my cheek, she kissed me sweetly. "Well, I like you, so I don't really care."

Taking my hand again, she led me to the bed. _Christ_, I was hard just watching her get on the bed. Rolling to her side, she smiled and patted the mattress inviting me to join her. I didn't really need the invitation, but it was a nice thought. Lying down, I put one hand on her hip and returned her smile. I wasn't sure what she was thinking and I didn't want to just ravage her if she wanted to talk or something.

"So," she said, "What are we going to do for the next week or so?"

_Stay right here fucking ourselves stupid and maybe forage for food in the kitchen when we have to?_ Probably not the answer she was looking for. Instead I heard myself say, "I can think of a few things."

"Yes, so can I, but we're not doing that the entire time."

"If you insist," I joked.

Reaching out, I moved some hair off her face and kissed her, taking my time and being careful not to pull her against the length of my body. I just needed to kiss her, and then I could go back to talking, maybe. Pulling away, I opened my eyes to see Sookie lying there, eyes closed, mouth open, chest heaving. _Beautiful. _Blinking, she opened her eyes and smirked at me.

"You're naughty."

"Did you just say 'naughty'? Because that is just hot," I said, shaking my head and leaning over to nibble along her neck. _Damn._ So much for going back to talking.

She giggled and pushed on my chest. "Stop. We have years to catch up on."

"We have years ahead of us, but right now we have less than two weeks together," I said trying to put my hand up her shirt.

"Yeah, and I'd like to spend that two weeks with Eric Northman, not just his dick." she said, slapping at my hand and laughing. "Do you think I'm easy or something?"

"No, I think you're hot as hell, stop slapping my hand so I can feel you up."

Grabbing my hand in both of hers, she held it between us, while her eyes sparkled at me. "I'm not saying we can't fool around later, but let's lead up to it with a little conversation. Okay?"

"Fine. Twenty questions each and then we pause and make out," I negotiated.

Smiling, she shook her head at me, and said, "Deal. I go first."

She certainly knew how to play the game. Since we hadn't established ground rules, she used open-ended questions that required me to tell stories instead of giving simple "yes"/"no" answers. When it was my turn, I used the same tactic to elicit longer answers from her. We talked and laughed, telling each other about our lives and all that we had missed over the past seven years.

"What the Hell number am I on?" I asked much later.

"I'm not counting for you. I have one more question."

_Perfect_. "Well, then I concede. Ask your question and we're done-with the talking."

Then she completely surprised me, which I should have expected with Sookie, asking me about the future.

"How will we keep in touch while you're gone?"

I sat up, propping my head on my hand, never taking my eyes off of hers. "Mostly by email. Phone calls when I can. And we can use the regular mail."

Leaning forward, so my lips just grazed her neck, I said, "I'll call you as often as I can. Hearing your voice will be such a gift."

"Eric."

"Yes," I said, rolling her to her back, moving to kiss the other side of her neck.

"Go lock the door and cut off the lights."

Laughing, I did as she asked. The room was dimly lit by a yard light shining through her window. Turning from the door, I pulled my shirt over my head and went back to the bed. She was lying on the bed in her bra and panties; boy shorts this time. I kicked off my shoes and jeans, laying my clothes on the chair and climbed up next to her. Skimming my hand along her side, she shuddered and closed her eyes for a second.

"I love the way you react when all I do is touch you," I said, my voice low with desire. She did crazy things to my libido; I had been walking around semi-hard since yesterday.

"I think I need you to touch me here," she said, putting a finger to her lips.

Raising my eyebrows, I leaned in to kiss her and the little vixen bit my lip.

"Fuck," I muttered, pulling her against me.

Conversation stopped with that kiss. Hands were everywhere, hips rocking, and tongues tangling. I'd like to say that I took my time and showed Sookie how much I loved her, but it wasn't like that. It was hot and hard, passionate and fucking amazing. Afterwards, we lay together panting, in a messy heap.

Sookie was slumped across me, her breath tickling my chest. "You're staying the night, aren't you?"

"If you're not kicking me out."

"I'm lying on top of you to prevent you from leaving. I'm not kicking you out."

"You said the same thing after the funeral. You don't have to sit on me to keep me here, you know. There isn't anywhere else I'd rather be."

"Okay," she murmured, but she was already half asleep.

SPOV

I woke in the morning to Eric kissing my forehead. He was dressed and crouching beside the bed. "I started the coffee. I'm going for a run down on the bayou road, and then I should be around Aunt O's. Call me when you get done with the lawyer."

"Mmm hmm." Bless him for starting the coffee maker. Caffeine was required before I could actually communicate and Eric knew that very well. He kissed the top of my head and was gone. I flipped onto my back with a sigh and mapped out the day. Coffee, shower, will, Eric. That sounded like a good day.

The cousins and I took turns in the only shower and got ready to drive to Monroe to meet with Gran's attorney. Jason was meeting us there and then driving me back so the cousins could get on the road to head home. Claude loaded their luggage in the car and we were on our way.

The lawyer ushered us into a small conference room. While we waited for Jason, Claude explained to Gran's lawyer, Mr. Cataliades that their parents were on safari in Africa and wouldn't be in attendance. He nodded, explaining that he would notify them by certified mail regarding anything that was left to them. Jason arrived, flustered, complaining about traffic and we began.

Mr. Cataliades read through the formalities of the will, including the "I, Adele Stackhouse, being of sound mind and body…" part, and then began reading through the items that Gran was giving to each of us. He started with my aunt, Claude and Claudine's mom, giving her some old cameras and other things that had belonged to my grand dad. They both really enjoyed photography; I thought that my aunt would be happy about that. Claude was given Gran's engagement ring, and Jason got our mom's. The cousins were each given some of Gran's Civil War antiques, while Claudine and I were given some favorite pieces of Gran's jewelry. There was a hefty donation to the Descendents of the Glorious Dead and a smaller gift to the library.

The lawyer paused, and then explained that Gran was very clear about the next part of the will. She felt that because the cousins already owned their own condos, gifts from their parents; the homes she owned should go to Jason and me. Claudine rolled her eyes but Claude nodded in agreement. Jason was given our parents house, which he'd been living in for years anyway, and I was awarded Gran's farmhouse.

Jason looked at me, slightly confused, "We don't have to sell them?"

I was flabbergasted. My confusion mirrored my brother's. "No Jase. She gave them to us."

"Sookie, you live in Atlanta."

"I know," I said, trying to figure out what this meant for me. I could come home. There was a house for me to live in, and the possibility of Eric eventually joining me. I couldn't quite put my head around it.

"One last thing," Mr. Cataliades said. Opening a manila folder, he distributed four letters, each one labeled with our respective names in Gran's shaky handwriting. "I'll let ya'll read those if you'd like and have a quiet word. I'll be in touch with the details to transfer the properties. You can leave when you're ready."

"Well, let's open 'em," Jason said. So we did, anticipating reading our last messages from Gran together.

Pulling the note paper out of the envelope, my paper was covered, front and back with Gran's script. I glanced around; none of the other letters had writing on the back of them. I wondered why my letter was so much longer, but the others were chuckling, so I began to read mine. Almost immediately, I knew there was nothing funny about it.

_Dearest Sookie, _

_If you are reading this, then I have passed on to meet our Lord. Raising you and your brother was a blessing that kept me young. But you grew up in very different times than I did, and in recent years, I have come to regret some decisions I made that I thought were in your best interests. I owe you apologies and explanations. I know that the good Lord will forgive me; I can only hope that you will do the same in time. _

_You can probably guess that this has to do with your break up with Eric. Sookie, in the first weeks that he was gone Octavia and I had to make some hard choices. Now don't go blaming her. She's not around to defend herself anymore; this is between you and me. Octavia told me how upset Eric was at leaving you; she worried that he wouldn't be able to keep away from you if he knew how upset you were. I worried that because he would only be able to call and write once in a while, that you would never be able to get over him and move on with your life. It breaks my heart to tell you, but we decided then that we wouldn't let you talk to each other until Eric was at least done with his Basic training. I know now that we were wrong. You have not grown into the woman that I know you can be, because I took away any opportunity you had for a second chance with him. You've never really gotten over Eric, and I blame myself. _

_Sweet child, you need to know some things about your young man. He did not leave you without a second thought. He was as destroyed as you were, but he channeled his energy into his career in the military while you fell apart. I don't think that means he's any stronger than you, but he had an outlet for all of his feelings, while yours just tore you apart. Beyond that, he called the house to check on you several times and he wrote you letters. I didn't read any of them; they're tucked away in my closet for you. I know now that I should have told you all of these things years ago. _

_Octavia and I talked several times about trying to get the two of you together to tell you what we had done, but then she got sick and time got away from us. Octavia died and you dated that man in Atlanta and I thought maybe I had been wrong. But then Tara told me what happened when he proposed, and my heart broke for you. I was afraid to tell you Sookie. I was afraid of losing yo,u and I was afraid it was too late for you and Eric. It's no excuse, it's just what happened. _

_I have no idea if this letter will find you in a place in your life where this information will help you or hurt you - and that is just one more thing that I hope you can forgive. If you can child, I ask that you find it in you to excuse my mistakes; they were committed out of love. _

_I will always be watching over you, and I'll be listening if you ever need me. I know that you can find happiness._

_Love, _

_Gran_

I folded the pages and slid them back in the envelope, setting it on the table, running my fingertip across my name. It was heartbreaking that Gran carried this guilt with her, because it had all been avoidable. I was touched that she left me this note and told me where to find the letters that Eric had sent me; but I was still angry at her. It was going to take some time before I could forgive her, but I knew I eventually would. Wiping away a tear, I looked up to see three sets of eyes intently watching me.

"Sorry. I just miss her," I said, the contents of my letter was none of their business.

We walked to the parking lot, murmuring goodbyes and saying we'd keep in touch. Getting into our respective cars, we waved and headed in opposite directions down the highway. I leaned my head back on the seat and let out a long breath.

"Are you okay Sookie?" Jason asked.

"Yeah," I said, nodding my head. "I need you to take me over to Pam and Eric's though."

"Alright. What are you gonna do about the house Sook?"

I turned to look at him, still trying to believe that I owned a house in Bon Temps. "I think I'm going to figure out how to move home."

000oo~oo000~000oo~oo000

A/N:

Thanks again for reading! Please take the time to review, it makes me happy! (A happy T is a writing T...)


	10. Old Favorites

**Title: Leap of Faith**

**Chapter 10: Old Favorites**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Southern Vampires characters or stories. All copyright belongs to Charlaine Harris.**

**A/N:  
**Um, yeah, so sick kids, broken work computer, lots of delays. So sorry, but here you go!

Thanks again to S. Meadows for being betarrific. I wait anxiously for her feedback each week. She has such good insight and ideas!

I have to admit I was peer pressured into the sweaty work out scene, I'm sure you don't mind (again). *sigh* Eric and Sookie seem to have overcome most of the obstacles keeping them apart…let's see what Eric thinks about her inheriting the house…

000oo~oo000~000oo~oo000

**EPOV  
**I bumped into Lafayette at the gas station after my run on the bayou road, and we went to the high school weight room to work out. It was Bon Temps idea of a health club since you had to know someone with a key to get in. Lafayette got his key when he moved home after college and became the assistant track coach.

"Nine…Ten." Lafeyette lowered the bar back onto the stand while I stood behind him spotting.

We traded places and he stood to watch while I did a set of bench presses.

"You're not very talkative."

"Nope," I grunted as I pushed the weight bar up.

"What's goin' on with you and Sook?"

Holding the bar across my chest, I gave him a look. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Why? You're not gonna do anything stupid again, are you?"

"No, I don't want to talk about it because it's none of your business." I continued my set, pushing the bar up with slow, smooth movements and bringing it down with just as much control.

"Oh honey, Sookie's heart is always my business."

"Well I don't plan on breaking her heart, so get over it."

"Are you gonna take her away from us?"

"Lafayette," I sighed. "She lives in Atlanta. She hasn't lived here in years. I don't know what's going to happen, and I should probably discuss it with Sookie before I talk to anyone else about it. Don't you think?"

"Well," he said shortly. I was waiting for him to snap his fingers or something more dramatic.

Finishing my set, I put the bar up to rest and sat up, toweling off. I looked over at Lafayette as he began doing curls in the mirror. "Look, I don't want to fuck this up with her, okay? Let the two of us figure things out before it makes the front page."

Our eyes met in the mirror. "Aw, ain't you sweet?"

"Fuck you."

"Mm. I been trying to get you to do that for years."

"Later Queen." I flicked my towel at him and headed to the door.

I had hoped that physical exertion would clear my head. But running and lifting weights hadn't begun to take the edge off my emotions. It wasn't that I didn't know what I wanted, because that was a given. It was the swirling mass of unknowns that was weighing me down. Where the hell was I headed to for a year? How was Sookie going to handle things while I was gone? What were we going to do when I came home? Shit. Where would home be? The questions just kept coming and I didn't have the answers.

Parking the 'Vette in Aunt O's driveway, I sat in the car thinking. In the span of several days I had gone from complete confusion about the direction of my life to bleak desperation because I knew what I wanted, but I would have to wait a full year for it to become reality. _Fuck._ Sitting here wasn't helping either. I climbed out of the car and headed to the house.

From the porch I heard the laughter of two women in the front room. Pam was going back to work tomorrow. _Who was she talking to?_ Coming through the door, I stopped, seeing Sookie on the couch. She was laughing with Pam, but it was clear she had been crying.

"Hey. I didn't expect to see you here." I strode over to kiss the top of her head; I was too sweaty for anything more.

She stood and curled herself around me. "I just wanted to see you. Pam and I had a nice talk."

"Sook, I know I reek. I'm all sweaty. Let me grab a shower. Alright?"

Nodding, she took my hand and I realized she meant to follow me upstairs. I led us up to my room and grabbed some clothes while she sat on my bed. The sight of her there did crazy shit to me. A part of my brain told me to skip the shower because I was just going to come back and get all sweaty with her; but the rational part was telling me to get a grip.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah. Go shower. We'll talk when you're not stinky." She wriggled her nose at me and laughed. Wondering what had upset her, I headed to the bathroom to get cleaned up.

I took a rather cold and hurried shower, forcing not to imagine her joining me. Running a towel over my hair, I stopped in the bedroom doorway and grinned at the sight of her curled up on my bed asleep. Leaving her be, I went downstairs to see if Pam would tell me why she had been crying. Pam gave me a cryptic answer, saying that yes, she knew, and I needed to hear it from Sookie, but it wasn't really bad. _Whatever that meant. Women. Shit, why can't they give you a straight answer?_

I was worried, still wondering what had upset Sookie, but I wasn't going to wake her up. Climbing in bed, I wrapped my arm around her and closed my eyes with a sigh. I wasn't all that tired really, but this was my favorite way to sleep, curled around her and blanketed in her scent. The Marines had taught me how to fall asleep fast, basically anywhere, but I had never slept as good as when I was with her. Once, while I was on leave, I contemplated buying some of her perfume thinking that the smell of it might help me sleep; then I realized that I would have perpetual sex dreams about her as well, so I scrapped that idea. Exhaling, I snuggled closer; she was wearing that perfume again. It was called Beautiful, I don't know who made it, but the sight of the familiar bottle on her dresser next to her birth control pills made me smile yesterday. _Shit._ Kissing her hair, I was saddened by the thought that I didn't have nearly enough time to spend with her, to put away memories that would carry me through hell and back.

I woke to the feel of something gently caressing my face. There was a light touch on my cheek and then a soft sweep across my eyebrow. I opened my eyes when the finger traced the seam of my lips. Sookie grinned at me sheepishly.

"Busted."

She giggled. "Sorry. You're just so handsome."

Shaking my head, I pulled her close and kissed her, then lay my head back down to gaze at her.

"How did it go today?" I asked, running a hand over my face to clear my head and wake up.

"It was alright. Gran left us all a little something."

"What made you cry?" Touching her cheek, I knew there was more she needed to say.

She closed her eyes for a second as she exhaled and then her eyes met mine. "Gran left me the house."

I blinked at her. "She left you the house?"

Sookie nodded. "Yeah. She left me the farmhouse and gave Jase mom and dad's old house."

"Holy shit." My thoughts started racing, this was good news, but I hadn't been expecting it, I hadn't hoped to dream it. _Son of bitch, we actually had somewhere to come home to when I got out of the Marines. _

"Wait, there's more. She left me a letter apologizing for everything. She told me you called and about the letters in her closet."

"Holy shit."

"You already said that."

"Well, it still applies. How do you feel about that?" It had to kill her that Gran had felt bad enough to leave her a letter like that.

"I don't know. I mean, she could have just never told me any of it, but she did. I'm still kind of mad at her, but I feel bad that she felt guilty."

"Understandable. Do you think you can forgive her?"

"I think I already have, it's just kind of raw. I know she did it because she loved me, and it's not like she's here for me confront or anything."

"She loved you, and she did it because she didn't want to see you hurt anymore than you were. She doesn't need to be here to tell you that." Leaning forward, I kissed her forehead. "What are you gonna do about the house? Your job's in Atlanta."

"My job is in Atlanta, my house is in Bon Temps and you're going to be in the Middle East. I'm not really sure what to do."

"You don't have to make any decisions right now, you know?" I reassured her, trying to help her relax. Despite what I said, the wheels in my head were spinning. If she could find a job here we could really come back. When we lived in New Orleans together I never considered coming back to Bon Temps. I thought we'd stay there, or maybe move to Shreveport. But my time in the Marines had taught me what was important. I wanted my children to grow up knowing their neighbors, feeling safe enough to play outside and most importantly, I wanted to be near family, like Pam and Jason.

"I know; that's what Pam said too, but she also told me that Miss Jane Bodehouse wants to retire."

Jane Bodehouse was a social worker for the parish. She was ancient when we were in high school, so it wasn't a surprise that she was looking to retire.

"You want to move home?" I asked, holding my breath.

"Bon Temps has always been home. It was the ghost of SookienEric that kept me away. I think now I could come home and be happy. What about you? I don't have any idea what you want to do after next year."

Running my thumb across her bottom lip, I sighed. "I've been putting off that decision. If I hadn't found you again, I was going to re-up. But now, I don't want to spend four more years risking my future with you. I'm not trained to do much besides be a cop or work for one of those private security companies, but that's the same thing as staying in the Marines."

"Would you want to come back to Bon Temps? Sherriff Dearborn might be ready to retire in a year or two."

I grinned at her. "I would love to come back here. Our kids could play with their cousins. We'd have big family get-togethers. I would really like that."

"Our kids?" I knew she wouldn't let my comment about children go without saying something.

"All ten of them."

"How 'bout all two of them?"

"We can start with two," I teased, taking her into my arms. She kissed me then, and I knew she wasn't freaked out about my talking about our family. It was a foregone conclusion in my mind at this point. I was not going to let her get away this time.

Pulling her on top of me, I ran my hands down her back, but let her take the lead. Kissing me gently she held my head in her hands. Sitting up enough to pull my shirt off, she ran her hands along my chest. _Jesus_. How was I going to live without this after finding her again? Licking and kissing my chest she looking up to meet my eyes, making sure I was watching her. I groaned as she slid my shorts off. Her face was way too close to my erection for her own good. She licked her lips and leaned down to place a sweet kiss on my shaft._ Fuck._

"Sookie," I practically growled. She had never been real big on blow jobs. Don't get me wrong, she was good at it, fucking amazing really, but she usually gagged herself a time or two, so it pissed her off.

"You're gonna fucking, oh God, kill me," I said as she took me into her mouth doing amazing things with her teeth and tongue. Watching her head bob up and down was hot as hell, and I couldn't take my eyes off of her. That combined with the suction of her warm mouth and I was having a hard time controlling myself. Swirling her tongue and making light scrapes with her teeth, she was driving me crazy. When she reached down to massage my balls, I arched off the bed, unintentionally forcing myself against the back of her throat. She gagged, but didn't stop, sucking in her cheeks without losing concentration.

"Fuck." My hands were in her hair, guiding her while doing my best not to make her choke again. It was seriously difficult to think with her mouth on me. She licked up my shaft and swirled her tongue around the top and I felt my muscles pulling in on top of each other. When she pushed her tongue flat against the spot just under my head, I came with a shout.

"Thank you," I muttered as she slid back up my chest and then peppered kisses along my jaw. "You're amazing."

"I'm out of practice."

"Shit, honey you can practice on me anytime, but that was fantastic." Rolling us over I sat between her legs to undress her. "You have too many clothes on."

She giggled and let me get her naked. I drank in the sight of her. Her tan lines that indicated she wore a bikini that I wanted to see her in. Her pink nipples pointed at me, the tight blond curls between her legs beckoned, and her sexy red toe nails, _damn_. She was incredible. I heard a little voice in my head say, "Mine" and I totally agreed, she was all mine.

My hands were drawn to her breasts and I kissed her neck. I nibbled, licked and teased along her collar bone as I stretched out. She bowed her back, pushing her breasts in to my hands. I put my mouth on one of her perfect nipples and moved my hand between her legs. She was hot and wet, when two of my fingers slid in and out, and her hips started to move match my rhythm. I sucked harder on her nipple and heard her breath catch. She was tightening around my fingers and I couldn't let her cum without being inside of her.

"Eric," she pleaded when I pulled my hand away from her.

"I have to be inside you."

"God, yes," she said pulling my lips against hers and ramming her tongue in and out of my mouth. _Fuck, any control I had was gone_. I pushed into her hard and fast and felt her muscles start to spasm around me after a couple of thrusts. Close, but by no means finished, I kept going, driving into her, watching her face the whole time, saving this memory.

"Oh, Gooooooood," she cried out as she came again clamping down on me. My whole body tensed and I felt my orgasm rolling through me, shooting from my center into hers.

"Jesus." We were both sweaty and panting; I needed another shower. I kissed her below the ear, sighing, "One of these times I plan to take it slow."

"That would be nice, but I'm not complaining."

"You are so fucking hot," I breathed into her ear. And then my stomach growled, loudly, ruining what was left of the moment, and we both laughed. The sound of her laughter was like so sweet, like the soft tinkling of bells. I smiled at her, thinking about how much I had missed moments like this, intimate and human instances that were stupid and perfect because they were with her.

**SPOV**

"I take it your hungry." I was still laughing. Leave it to Eric and his bottomless pit of a stomach to ruin a romantic interlude.

"Yeah. I took a nap with you instead of having lunch."

"Want me to cook you dinner?"

Eric's eyes lit up. "Please tell me you have all of the ingredients back at Gran's."

"Ingredients for what?" I played dumb, but I knew what he wanted me to make.

"Don't tease me woman. If you're cooking dinner I want Stackhouse Chicken."

Shaking my head I smiled at him. "You do know that it's basically chicken breasts baked over Rice-A-Roni, right?"

"I know, but I don't know what you Stackhouse's do differently because it's not the same when I make it. You're like magic with that stuff. " Eric was a recipe follower. He measured each ingredient precisely and set the timer for everything. The recipe for Stackhouse Chicken had never been written down, it made him crazy.

"You tried to write it down, didn't you?"

"I had to. I was by myself and I wanted to have some, so I did everything I remembered and I wrote it down so I could use the recipe the next time. But it wasn't as good as when you make it."

"Well, then you'll have to watch me and see what step you missed." I kissed his nose and climbed out of bed. "Are you coming? We need to get moving, it takes a while to bake."

After running into Bon Temps Market for chicken and a couple of other ingredients, we headed for Hummingbird Lane, laughing about old times.

His phone started ringing, glancing at the number he answered with a growl, "This better be good jackass…Not possible. I'm in Louisiana." I watched his expression as he listened and then gave short answers,"If this is what you want."… "Call Soph and Cal and they'll go with you."… "Shut up. Call and Cal."…"I know man."… "Just call him. I'll check in with him in a few hours. Oh, and congrats. "

He hadn't taken his eyes off the road, and the phone call oddly sounded like good news. "What's up?"

"Fucking Twinning."

"What's a Twinning?"

"A walking hard on with a crazy ass girlfriend."

"Oh my. Why did you tell him to call Cal?"

"So he can be a witness at the wedding."

"Oh. Oh, I see."

"He forgot that I was out of town. I'm usually the problem solver."

"Yeah, I guess you always were." Eric's friends had always come to him for advice or to help them out of a jam. "Why do you think she's crazy?"

He shook his head. "She's a stalker. They started dating the last time we were home and Charles, that's his first name, was really into her. He started getting packages from her like two weeks after we left, and they were freaky. She sent him wedding magazines and monogrammed shit with their names on it. She even sent a photoshopped a picture of what they would look like on their wedding day."

"That is weird. It didn't bother him?"

"It did at first, but you get so lonely over there, he was just glad to have someone sending him shit…I don't know what he was thinking. But now we're home and he says he's marrying her."

"You're not going to try to talk him out of it?"

"Nah. Soph will probably try, but not me. Twinning is the Marines for the long haul; he's going to be home for very short periods of time over a lot of years. If this is going to make him happy, I'm not getting in the way of that."

I thought about what he said. I was damn glad that Eric said he would be coming home after this tour. _Knock on wood_. The upcoming year was going to be hard enough, but to imagine facing that year after year, potentially with a family, I can't understand how people do it. Looking out the window my thoughts changed. I watched the familiar landscape of Bon Temps go by. This was going to be my home again, and someday soon, it would be our home.

He took my hand in his and ran his thumb over my knuckles. "You got quiet."

Turning to him, I smiled. "Just thinking. I can't wait until you can come back to stay."

"I can't wait for that either. But I'm not gone yet."

"I know. Are there things you wanted to do while you're home?" His eyebrows waggled at me as he glanced over from the road. "Other than that."

"Stackhouse chicken was on the top of my list, so we're taking care of that tonight. And apparently we're going to have to get back to North Carolina for a wedding celebration, it's a tradition."

"We?"

"We. I want you to come meet everyone and see me off. If you want to. I guess you have to talk to your boss again though."

"Shit, yeah, I'm going to have to figure out what to do about my job."

"Will you go talk to Jane?"

"Pam said she'd talk to her tomorrow at work and let me know what she said, and then we'll see what I need to do." Pam worked for the Health Department and had an office in the same building as the Department of Social Services.

We pulled into the driveway at Gran's and Eric drove around to the back of the house like old times. Only family and close friends parked back there. He grabbed the groceries while I unlocked the door, and we got busy making Stackhouse Chicken. He watched me like I was performing brain surgery.

Shaking my head I handed him an onion. "Chop me up one cup of this." I had to give him specific measurements, because of his recipe obsession.

"You're trying to distract me so I miss the secret ingredient."

"Baby, the secret ingredient is Stackhouse love," I teased, giving him a hug from behind.

He huffed, turning at an awkward angle to kiss the top of my head, and started chopping the onion. I threw the chicken in a zip-loc bag with some Italian Dressing. I added some lemon juice and pepper and set the bag in the fridge so it could marinade a few minutes while we got everything else ready.

I wasn't trying to keep any secrets from him. There were two "magical" elements that recipe boy would never understand. The first thing he couldn't comprehend was that we used whatever Rice-A-Roni we happened to have at the time, although my favorite was the basic chicken flavor, it seemed to have more vermicelli in it. And second, we used any Italian dressing we had on hand to marinade the chicken. Those two elements gave the dish a similar but different taste every time we made it. Eric loved it so much he didn't taste the subtle differences, unless he made it himself apparently.

He handed me the onions and I sautéed them with some butter in the skillet. He leaned against the counter, watching as I added the Rice-A-Roni. You had to be careful the vermicelli in it didn't burn. I added the liquid to start cooking the rice and began cleaning up the mess we had made.

Eric's phone rang again and I heard him say hello to Cal. He stepped out onto the porch as I browned the chicken breasts. When the rice was ready I put everything in a pan and set it in the oven to bake. As I closed the oven, Eric came back in the kitchen. He poured a glass of tea and sat at the table with a sigh.

"Everything okay with the wedding plans?"

"Yeah," he nodded, running his hands through his hair.

"What then?" I was washing some dishes, looking over my shoulder at him.

"We need to be back by next Wednesday for the party."

"Okay, well, I'll know something by then about what I'm going to do." He looked distracted and far away. I dried my hands and turned to face him. "Eric, what else did he tell you?"

I could tell that he was considering not telling me, but evidently he understood that it would be a mistake. He looked me in the eyes. "He said there's a rumor that we're leaving right away."

I started to internally panic. My knees felt a little shaky, I had been thinking that we would have an extra week together, because if I went with him to North Carolina I wouldn't leave until he shipped out, but now it wouldn't matter. "Do you have to go back, now?"

"No. No. Not now. He just heard that we won't have a week to get everything around that we'll need to load up and leave quickly."

"Oh." I sat at the table feeling sick. I don't know anything about the Marine's. Why would they need to leave quickly? "Is there a lot going on? I mean, is there something in the, over there, you need to get to?" I couldn't bring myself to say war zone.

He shrugged. "Timelines don't mean anything in the military. If there's something happening now it doesn't matter because we couldn't get there in time to help. They'll probably hurry up and ship us out and then we'll sit somewhere and wait before we go back to the front. But you never know."

He took my hand and pulled me into his lap. "I'm sorry. It's not really unusual for them to change things up."

Putting my arms around him, I lay my head on his shoulder. "I was just looking forward to another week with you."

"I know. But hey," he said, turning his body so I sat up to look at him. "Let's not ruin our time together being sad, ok? You asked me earlier what I wanted to do while I was home. I want to sit with you and watch our favorite movies and eat popcorn and ice cream – cuz stuff melts really fast over there. So let's eat and hang out tonight. Sound good?"

"Our favorite movies? Like your _Evil Dead_ stuff?" I laughed. "You know, I bet those are in my closet actually. I boxed up a bunch of the things that reminded me of you and left them here."

"Oh my God. Don't tease me like that woman."

"I'm not teasing. Wait here." I went to my room and opened the dusty box the back of my closet. Sure enough, all of Eric's favorite Bruce Campell horror-comedy movies were in the box, along with pictures, cards, CD's, and other memorabilia from our time together.

Holding them up as I came into the kitchen, Eric's face lit up like a little kid on Christmas. We put the first movie in and sat on the couch together, pausing to eat Stackhouse Chicken when it was ready. I had to laugh at the look on his face as he ate, he looked like he was in heaven while repeating, "This is so good."

After we cleaned up our dinner dishes, I put some popcorn in the microwave and sprinkled Old Bay on it , just the way he liked' while he refilled our glasses of tea. We pulled out a couple of Gran's afghans and curled up on the couch like old times. We laughed and talked, watching movies into the wee hours of the night. I woke up at some point feeling Eric pick me up and carry me to the bedroom, but as he aligned himself behind me, I sighed and fell back to sleep.

**A/N2:  
**So….Eric wants a brood of kids! Who wouldn't want a zillion kiddos with him?! *sigh* The next couple of days are going to fly by for them… Push the little button and give me some review lovin' if you feel the urge, and you know you do! LOL

Again, my humble thanks to S. Meadows. She rox my sox.


	11. Chicken Fried

**Title: Leap of Faith**

**Chapter 11: Chicken Fried**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Southern Vampires characters or stories. All copyright belongs to Charlaine Harris.**

**A/N:  
**So, real life got in the way this week. I've regrouped and am on track, which means you'll get a chapter the beginning of next week on top of this one!

Muchas gracias to **S. Meadows **and **A Redhead Thing **for taking the time to beta for me. They helped me straighten out some craziness in this chapter. I do not recommend writing when delirious from lack of sleep. Thanks girls, I couldn't have done it without you.

000oo~oo000~000oo~oo000

**EPOV  
**I squatted next to the bed and ran a hand over Sookie's hair. She blinked a couple of times, smiling groggily at me.

"Good morning, Bird."

"Mmm hm," she mumbled.

"I'm going to the gym in Monroe. Coffee's ready."

"Good lord. Come back to bed."

"Tempting. I'm going to work out and then if it's okay with you, I'll bring my stuff over here."

"Are we shacking up?"

"Seems like a good idea." The clock in my head was counting down our time together. I wanted to spend every moment with her that I could.

"It does sound kind of nice."

Sitting up, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and yawned. I stood and pulled her up with me, wrapping her in my arms. She nuzzled into my chest with her arms around my back.

"Why don't you just relax today? Since you don't really need to sort through Gran's things right away now, you should just take some time to yourself. We'll talk to Pam later and find out what Miss Bodehouse had to say."

"That's a pretty good idea actually."

"Coffee?"

"Of course."

I led her by the hand to the kitchen and grinned as she poured a very large cup of coffee. When she finished her first sip I leaned over and gave her a kiss. "I'll be back in a few hours."

On the drive to Monroe, I flipped open my phone and called Cal. I wanted to find out if he had heard anything more about our deployment. He was on base trying to pick up some information, but hadn't heard anything new. The night before we'd spent our time talking about Twinings and our change in schedule, so I caught him up on all that Sookie and I had learned in the last few days. I told him about the secrets both of our families had kept from us and how I was going to do everything I could to make things work this time.

He got quiet at one point and then cleared his throat. "You know I'll understand if you don't re-up after this tour."

The deployment coming up was the fourth and final tour in our gentleman's agreement. Cal and Sophie had decided that he would stay the course with the Marines and retire after twenty years. I had hinted that I would probably retire as well, but they both knew it was because I felt there wasn't anywhere else for me to go.

"Thanks, Cal. I think I'm done after this tour. Sookie inherited her Gran's place. I can actually come home and start my life with her. I feel like I've wasted so much damn time. Another twelve years is too long to wait."

"I understand. Soph does too," he said, and I knew he meant it. The two of them had known what was missing in my life long before I did.

Cal exhaled loudly and continued, "If that's the case, you've got some shit to take care of before we leave. I mean, shit, you know what I mean, man."

"I know. I've already thought about it."

"Well, do more than think about it jackass. Soph is going to kill you if you fuck this up."

"I know, _Dad_," I said as I pulled into a parking spot.

"Whatever, dick. When do you think you'll get here next week?"

"Twining's party is Wednesday right? I figure we'll come in on Tuesday. Sookie's excited to meet you and Soph in person."

After he promised to let me know if he heard anymore about our timeline for departure, we said our goodbyes.

I sighed. It was just like him to bring that shit up; like I wasn't already thinking about it. I didn't want to be negative about the upcoming trip to whatever shithole place the military decided I should go fight in, but I'd seen enough to know that nothing in life is guaranteed. Girlfriends, or even fiancés, of servicemen don't have any rights. They aren't given any updates about their men and they aren't given information if they ask for it.

As it stood now, if something happened to me, Pam would receive the notification. Not that I wanted anyone to show up on Sookie's doorstep with bad news. I didn't want that to happen period. In order for Sookie to get any news about me or what was going on through official channels, she had to be my immediate family. No matter how great things had been over the last several days, I wasn't quite sure she was ready for what needed to happen.

Heading into the gym, I signed up for a guest pass and struck up a conversation with the personal trainer at the desk about his Semper Fidelis tattoo. He gave me a discount based on our Marine brotherhood, and I got started on the treadmill. Listening to my iPod on shuffle, I went through the full circuit of weight machines, pushing myself a little harder than usual because I hadn't had a good workout in days.

My mind wandered as I exercised, jumping from topic to topic. If Sookie and I were going to be back in North Carolina on Tuesday, we would need to decide if we were leaving on Sunday or Monday. It was a little over sixteen hours in the car, so I'd let Sookie decide if she wanted to drive straight through. Wiping the sweat from my chest, I moved to the next machine to do some leg lifts. I realized that it was Wednesday, which meant it was chicken fried steak night at Merlotte's and it sounded like a great idea for dinner. When we got home from there, I wanted to sit on the porch and look at the stars with Sookie.

I thought about what it would be like taking Sookie to North Carolina. I wanted to go to my favorite beach near Wilmington. We would spend the day at the beach enjoying the sun and playing in the water. Then we would eat dinner listening to the waves and end the evening sitting in the sand watching the sunset. Sookie would want to get to know Cal; she would feel better knowing someone that I was stationed with. I really wanted her to get to meet Sophie Ann, because Sookie was going to need someone to yell at and vent to when we lost contact for weeks at a time. But mostly, I wondered how the hell I was going to get her to agree to my plan.

I was a sweaty mess by the time I was done. Nodding at the trainer on my way out the door, I slid into the car to head back to Aunt O's. I cranked Metallica on the stereo for the drive home, nothing like loud music to put a stop to emotional thought diarrhea. Pam wouldn't be surprised when I told her that I was staying at Gran's. We had talked quite a bit during her shopping spree and she knew that I wanted to spend as much time with Sookie as I could. Loading my things into my rucksack, I grabbed my garment bag out of the closet and headed out.

Driving around to the back of the house I saw Sookie stretched out on a lounge chair in a very small black bikini. She looked incredible with those little triangles barely covering her breasts. I didn't even want to get out of the car to hear her start laughing at me. There was no way my gym shorts were going to hide my hard on. _Fuck. I felt like a teenager again. I'm a walking hormone around her._ Watching her for a few seconds, I tried to pull my shit together. _Fuck it._ I climbed out of the car and walked towards her. She had sunglasses on and must have had her eyes closed, because she didn't say a word or even arch an eyebrow at my obvious arousal. Hitching up my shorts, I squatted next to her, drinking in the view.

She lifted her sunglasses and winked. Looking me up and down, she barked out a laugh at my straining shorts. "Happy to see me?"

Leaning close, I ran my nose along her chin. "I am," I said before thoroughly kissing her.

"Mmmm," she giggled. "You're happy to see me and smelly too."

I kissed her again, sucking on her lower lip as I pulled her up off the chair. "I need a shower. Want to help me wash the hard to reach spots?"

"I think I might enjoy helping you."

"Oh, I can guarantee that."

Picking her up, I tossed her over my shoulder and carried her to the bathroom. There were two bathrooms in Gran's house, but only one shower. I would have loved to have spent some time with her in that old claw foot tub, but that was for another time. At that moment, I wanted to be pressed up against her in the shower, watching the water cascade down her body.

Turning the water on to warm up, I faced her and smiled. She was leaning against the bathroom door watching me. I beckoned to her with my fingers and she slowly came to stand in front of me.

"You're wearing too many clothes," I breathed.

Leaning around her, brushing my chest against her shoulder, I reached behind her to untie the strings of her bikini top. My eyes met hers as I slowly pulled the tie on one side of her bottoms and then the other. Her breath caught when my fingers grazed the sides of her breasts as I brought my hands up to each side of her face. My lips slanted over hers and I gave her a hungry kiss.

She kissed me back, running her hands over my shoulders, down my back and into my waistband. Pushing my shorts down as far as she could reach without breaking the kiss, she caressed my thighs and moved her hands up to my ass. I groaned, pulling away from the kiss and kicked out of my shorts and shoes. Peeling my socks off I watched Sookie get into the shower. I shook my head muttering a little prayer of thanks for this amazing woman and stepped in behind her.

She was standing with her back to the spray getting her hair wet when I joined her. We used to have this down to a science, a little shower ballet if you will, but that was seven years ago. I moved in front of her, my hands skimming along her sides, and I bent to kiss her breasts as stray sprays of water hit my face. She moaned as her hands abandoned her own hair twisting into mine. I would have liked nothing better than to back her up against the shower wall and pound into her, but I wanted to make this last, to savor every moment.

Forcing myself upright, I gently turned her around and lathered her hair with shampoo. She moaned as I scrubbed her scalp. After washing her hair I massaged the conditioner in and turned her around for a kiss before slowly before rinsing it out. She picked up the shampoo and I leaned back so she could reach me. I rinsed my hair and shook my head like a dog, spraying water over both us. Laughing, she kissed me, running her hand down my thigh brushing my erection while she looked at me with hooded eyes. _So fucking hot. _

I had to keep reminding myself that I wanted to take things slow. Pouring her bath gel into my hands, I created a lather that I caressed down her back and arms before stretching down to soap her legs. I took my time, rubbing and massaging. Her head tipped back and she was breathing heavy. I gave up pretending to wash her, dropping to my knees and burying my face in her center. She gasped as I pushed her against the back wall of the shower and then pulled my hair, pressing my face into her flesh. There was nothing like the taste of her. Kissing her mouth was heaven, but this, this was ecstasy.

Taking my time, I did everything I knew she loved, circling her clit, flicking it back and forth and then fucking her with my tongue. She was practically pulling clumps of my hair out when she kicked her heel against the wall. It was a Sookie twitch, and it was fucking adorable, it meant with just one more stroke, thrust, or whatever, she would lose her mind. Gripping her hips to hold her in place, I gave her a long lick ending in a thrust of my tongue and her body went taught, then I was rewarded with another rush of her delicious essence.

"God, you're amazing," she muttered as the tremors began to subside.

Grinning, I slid up her body. Cupping her sex with my hand, I stroked her with my fingers as I kissed her collarbone. I licked along her neck and nibbled her chin as I made my way to her lips. I slid into her with a groan, as her wet heat sheathed my cock, and she sucked my tongue into her mouth. I advanced slowly, touching every nerve, making her whimper and wrap her legs around my waist. Changing angles, I found the spot that would send her back over the edge and stroked slow and true. Her muscles clamped down, pulling me in, and it brought me to the edge. My movements became frenzied as she cried out, her orgasm drawing mine from the base of my spine. With a shout I pushed into her as far as humanly possible and found release.

We were breathing heavy, our foreheads together, as we paused to come down from a lover's high. My ass was freezing and Sookie's nipples were hard against my chest, we laughed because we both knew it wasn't from arousal, but because it was suddenly so cold in the shower.

I ran my hands over her goose bumps and she giggled. "Get me towel you big oaf! I'm cold!"

**SPOV  
**Eric wrapped me in a towel and rubbed another one over my hair. I watched him drying off, lazily wrapping a towel around his waist. Glancing up, he caught me looking, and I felt myself blush. He chuckled and wandered into the bedroom where he dug through his huge bag to find his clothes. I sat on the bed and started brushing though my hair. Turning to face me, he winked, dropped the towel, and made a very slow and sexy show of getting dressed.

He buttoned his pants as he came over to the bed, then sat behind me and grabbed the brush taking over the job of untangling my hair. I couldn't resist making some happy noises as the bristles massaged my scalp. Casually, he worked in sections while I put lotion on my arms and legs. It was a familiar routine, although we hadn't done it in years.

We'd had an interesting couple of days. Burying Gran, reconnecting with each other, and rushing to Pam's side at the hospital. I had inherited Gran's house, basically decided that I would be moving back to Bon Temps, and had copious amounts of hot sex with Eric. I hadn't had sex this much since I first moved to New Orleans to start school with him. I wasn't complaining, that's for sure, and I wasn't going to turn him down, but I meant it when I said that I didn't want to spend all of our time together in bed. It was ridiculous, but I already knew that I could relive the sex part of our relationship by myself when he was gone, hell; I'd done it for years. I wanted to remember more times like this, when his guard was down and he was doing something sweet for me, or when we talked about books and movies, quoting our favorite parts and laughing until our bellies hurt. I hoped we would have times like last night, when we cooked together, cuddled on the couch watching movies, and ultimately woke up tangled together in the morning. These were the things that I needed to savor and be able to remember when I was missing him.

Finishing with my hair, he helped me up and searched in his bag again for a second before going back into the bathroom with some of his toiletries. Pulling on my clothes I headed for the kitchen to make lunch out of the leftovers that were still bursting out of the fridge. He came to join me at the table and we filled out plates. While we ate he asked if I wanted to go to Merlotte's for dinner, at first I hesitated, because I had been thinking of making another one of his favorites, then I remembered that it was Wednesday so I agreed we should go. There were other nights for me to cook, but this was his only chance to get the chicken fried steak special at the bar and I knew how much he loved it.

Pam called as we were cleaning up the kitchen. Miss Jane Bodehouse was thrilled that I was interested in working with the Department of Human Services in our Parish. She told Pam that she had always hoped that someone she knew would want to take over for her. I think Miss Jane was afraid that her replacement wouldn't care for the families the way she had. It was touching that she thought I was worthy of filling her shoes. Pam said I needed to get her a copy of my resume, which made me laugh, because it was in desperate need of being updated, and Miss Jane would talk to her supervisor about me. Apparently, her boss had been trying to talk her into retiring for years and was willing to let Miss Jane choose her replacement if it would help convince her to begin taking time for herself and her grandchildren.

Pam said it was no rush, but I should definitely call Miss Jane before Eric and I left for North Carolina. I couldn't believe how easily things were coming together. I had a house, most likely a job, and, God willing, Eric when his tour was finished.

We spent the afternoon playing another round of twenty questions. It was sort of a best and worst recap of the past seven years for each of us. Most embarrassing moments, which Eric chose to pass on, saying nothing embarrasses him. I'm pretty sure calling someone the wrong name when they proposed to you couldn't be topped, but I did tell him about how a regular customer at Amelia's restaurant always made a big out of deal telling me, and everyone around us, that I look just like an actress on some HBO series. That was always embarrassing. We covered favorite movies, songs, concerts we had been to and trips we'd taken.

Then he asked me what my best day had been, so I told him about the time that three siblings I worked with were adopted into the same family. The day their adoption became final was my best day in the last seven years. The goal of Foster Care is reuniting a family, but sometimes just isn't an option and that was the case for these kids. They had moved from home to home over a two year period and didn't seem like there were any Foster Families that were a good fit. When they moved the last time I didn't want to get my hopes up, but I thought that this family might be a perfect fit. Everything came together to create this new family in a strange harmony that starts to seem impossible after a few years in the Foster Care world, and I would never forget it.

I used my next question asking about his best day and had to call foul when he tried to say that it was today. He thought for a few minutes and then said it was the last day he spent with his Aunt. He had been in Bon Temps while on leave and he spent the day driving Aunt O. around town. She had him drive her to the library, the post office and the grocery store and it took hours. Each stop took much longer than he expected, because Aunt O. made conversation with every person she saw. He had been totally frustrated by the end of the day, but when they finally got home, she told him how much she loved him and that she couldn't have been more proud of him. She died two months later when he was somewhere in the desert, cut off from reality, and he didn't find out she was gone for over a week. I had forgotten that he missed her funeral. I didn't come home for it; I wouldn't have been able to handle it at the time. He wouldn't let me be sad about it today, reminding me that his best day was with her.

The afternoon wore on and we decided to change clothes and head over to Merlotte's. Walking into the bar we were greeted by a waitress that was the younger sister of someone I had graduated with. Sitting opposite each other in a corner booth, Eric ordered us sweet teas and the Kitchen Sink. It was a handful of each of the fried appetizer items on the menu all thrown together to make up a giant basket. It was an old tradition of ours. We figured if we were eating chicken fried steak, we might as well go all the way. We each had different favorites in the basket, but we always fought over who got the last deep fried dill pickle.

Continuing our conversation from earlier, we compared what a typical day was for each of us. I made him give me two versions, one for a day when he was in North Carolina and another for his time in the Middle East. I wanted to be able to imagine what he was doing while he was away. I mean, I knew that not all of his days were the same and that there would be days that he would be in danger, but I didn't want to think about that.

When it was my turn, I told him about my first stop every morning; a coffee shop around the corner from my apartment. It was run by some old hippies. There was a continuous loop of the Grateful Dead on the sound system and some curious smells came from the back room on occasion, but they made coffee that was second only to Café de Monde in New Orleans. Eric was laughing at my description of the open mic poetry night when Jason and Hoyt showed up and asked to join us. I moved over to sit with Eric and he put his arm around me. I fit perfectly under his arm; it made me feel safe and home.

The evening flew by full of food, drinks, laughter and reminiscing. Eric raved about his chicken fried steak, telling the waitress it was the best he'd had in at least a year. Sam had joined us for a while, bringing a round of beers and pulling up a chair to join the conversation. Hoyt brought up the time that the Bon Temps football team went to the State finals and between the four men I got a play by play of the final minutes of the victory. It was comfortable and natural. I had almost forgotten what it was like to be a part of a group like this, with such a shared history. Much later, Eric caught me yawning, so he paid our tab and we headed home.

He parked in front of the house, which was odd, and led me up the stairs to the porch. Grabbing my keys he unlocked the door, signaled for me to wait, and stepped into the house. I didn't know what he was doing, but I waited, albeit impatiently because I was tired. He came back out carrying an afghan and grabbed my hand pulling me towards, _oh shit_, the porch swing. My feet felt like lead and my stomach turned sour. He tugged at my hand, clearly not seeing the horror on my face. I hadn't sat on that fucking porch swing since he left.

Turning to see why I wasn't following, he muttered something under his breath, but I didn't hear him. I couldn't believe I was still such a wreck over the damn porch swing. If I could sit there with anyone it would be him, but I'd have to think about it, prepare myself I guess, which sounded completely mental, even to me. I felt his hand on my cheek and leaned into it, trying to regain my composure.

"I just want to look at the stars with you," he said quietly. "Where can we sit?"

Focusing on his eyes and not the emotional baggage picture show playing over his shoulder, I whispered, "Anywhere else."

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**A/N:  
**Poor Sook…But damn, I don't think I could sit on that swing either. I'm just sayin'.  
And, ahem, how 'bout that shower? I think I need one after reading it again, and I've read it a bajillion times! LOL

Thanks so much for taking time to read and for the review I know you're about to leave…You know you want to. It's so easy, just click the green button. You can do it – I believe in you!


	12. Ursa Major

**Title: Leap of Faith**

**Chapter 12: Ursa Major**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Southern Vampires characters or stories. I just like to play with them. **

**A/N: **

Thanks so much for your reviews of Ch11! I'm glad everyone was on the same page with me about the porch swing.

Okay, so baby T got over his ear infections and now the whole family has a cold. To make my life complete, I got a computer virus on Friday which killed my final edits to this chapter and the beginnings of new chapters for both LOF and Halo. (Yes I would like cheese with my whine. Thankyouverymuch.)

Thanks again to S. Meadows and A Redhead Thing for being betastic and for talking me off the ledge with the whole virus drama. I cannot tell you both how much I appreciate the fact that you set aside time in your busy lives to read over these chappies for me. ILY

At anyrate - here's the next chapter bright and early in the week as promised! A little more bonding before the big road trip. LOL

Enjoy.

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**EPOV**

Grabbing the ugly afghan off the couch, I stepped back outside, taking Sookie's hand to lead her over to the swing. I wanted to look at the stars with her and pick out constellations. Charles Twinings was a jackass, but he had taught me astronomy during long nights in the desert and I wanted to share it with her. It was something we could do together while we were apart, if that made any sense.

I was tossing the afghan on the swing when I felt resistance from Sookie's arm. I knew she was tired, but I thought she'd enjoy looking at the sky with me so I gave her arm another tug and realized that she was firmly planted in her spot on the porch. _What the hell?_ I glanced over my shoulder and she looked like a deer in the headlights, a deer that was about to be violently ill. _What the…? Christ. I am an asshole. _She was staring at the fucking swing like it was going to swallow her whole.

"Dumb ass," I muttered to myself.

Slowly, I turned back to her and brought my hand up to her cheek. She leaned into me and seemed to focus her eyes on mine. I felt horrible. How could I have thought she would want to sit there? But if I brought it up, or apologized right now, it would make things worse.

I quietly told her what I had intended. "I just want to look at the stars with you. Where can we sit?"

She was working really hard to keep her shit together. She struggled, but whispered, "Anywhere else."

"Let's go sit on the bench out back."

A total change of scenery was in order. Putting my arm around her waist, we walked behind the house and sat on the bench near Gran's vegetable garden. Settling down, I pulled her back against my chest. She still seemed a little dazed. I hoped that holding her would help her relax. After a few seconds, she exhaled loudly and nuzzled against me.

"I'm sorry I freaked out. The stars are beautiful."

"It's okay." It was my fault, but I knew she didn't want to talk about it. I pointed at the stars to the north. "Do you see over there?"

"It's the big dipper."

"Right. Follow that line from the tip of the dipper over here; do you see two more stars in a line?"

"No, um, wait! Okay, yeah!"

"Okay. So what you're looking at is the backbone of Ursa Major. The end of the handle is his nose and that second star off the tip of the dipper is his butt."

She giggled and I helped her find the rest of the stars that made up the constellation.

"That is so cool! It really looks like a bear! Where did you learn that?"

"Twinings taught me, well, he taught a bunch of us. He has his own little astronomy class in the desert. He said the stars were the only thing that he and his dad could talk about without fighting."

"Wow," she laughed. "You must have been really bored."

I laughed too. "Yeah. I've had a lot of late nights with nothing to do in the dark."

"It's great though. I mean, you always liked looking at the stars, but you could hardly find the Big Dipper before."

"I know, right?"

We sat looking at the sky in silence for a while.

"This is nice," she sighed.

"Sook, I wanted to do this with you, check out the stars, because it's something I do when I'm gone, you know? So if you come out here by yourself, you'll know I'm probably doing the same thing. Well, maybe not at the same time because of the time difference, but you know."

She turned and put her arms around me. "Thank you. For thinking about how hard it's going to be for me. This is a cool idea."

I think one of the guys in my unit had seen it in a movie, a soldier telling his girl that they were looking at the stars at the same time. Logistically it was a little off, but it was comforting to think that the people you cared about were looking at the same stars and sky even if they were halfway around the world.

"Show me something else," she said excitedly.

Looking into the sky, I got my bearings. "Okay. Look at Ursa Major again and find the toe of his back foot. Got it? Follow my finger down here to the brighter star."

"I think I see it. What is it?"

"That's Regulus, it marks one of the feet in Leo."

We laughed as she struggled to find some of the stars I was pointing to. It was easier for me because I had been practicing. She was really yawning by the time I finished showing her the rest of the stars that made up the outline of a lion.

"Do you want to go in?"

"No. I want to stay out here with you looking at the stars."

"Bird, you can hardly keep your eyes open."

Pulling the afghan up around her shoulders, she leaned against my chest and looked upward. "You'll carry me in when I fall asleep. I want you to talk to me about the stars. Just tell me what you see."

So I did just that.

**SPOV**

I woke in the morning to the familiar feeling of a large God wrapped around my body. I was naked save for my thong and it took me a minute to remember coming to bed last night. We had sat outside, looking at the stars until I fell asleep, then Eric had carried me in. Leaning over the edge of the bed I saw my clothes in a messy heap on the floor where I had groggily tossed them.

I heard a rumble from behind me as I moved back into his embrace. He rubbed his nose in my hair an sighed.

"Go back to sleep."

"Aren't you getting up to go to the gym or something?"

"No. Go back to sleep."

"Really?" I flipped over to face him. I couldn't believe he wasn't getting up. Eric was not a sleeping in kind of guy.

He opened one eye and squinted at me. "I am not going to the gym, because I am planning on using your body as my exercise equipment today, making love until we pass out from exhaustion."

_Holy shit. _What was I supposed to say to that? All I could come up with was, "Oh."

He opened his other eye. "Oh?"

I put my arms around him. _What the Hell._ He was leaving soon. I had said that I didn't want to spend all of the remaining time together with his dick, but it didn't mean I didn't want to spend a lot of time with it! If we spent a day or two in bed, it was fine by me. Leaning forward, I gave him a soft kiss.

"Then you're right. I should go back to sleep." Closing my eyes I snuggled against his chest. I probably wasn't going to be able to fall asleep, but I figured I would try.

"Son of a bitch," he muttered. I guess that wasn't the answer he expected from me. I felt a kiss on top of my head and he gave me a squeeze. "I fucking love you."

The next time I woke up, I heard a moan and then realized as I stretched that I was shoving my nipple farther into Eric's mouth as I arched my back.

"Oh my God!"

He laughed; his body was camped out between my legs and he was paying special attention to one of my breasts. We spent the day in bed sexercising and it was amazing, earth shattering, multiorgasmic, and everything in between. I rummaged in the kitchen at one point, returning to the bedroom with peanut butter sandwiches and a pitcher of sweet tea. Eric had laughed at that, but he still ate his fair share of the snack.

We had done things in bed that we had never tried before and we'd done some old standbys repeatedly. I was sore in places that I didn't realize could get sore. Glancing at Eric sleeping like a dead man, I felt a rush of desire even though I was exhausted. In such a short time he had wrapped himself back around my heart. I tucked myself against him and put my hand on his chest, listening to him breathe. I fell asleep thanking the lord for second chances.

In the late afternoon I woke up to the sounds of my cell phone ringing, but had no idea where it was, so it went to voice mail. Sitting up to get a drink of tea, my muscles ached everywhere. I was startled by the loud sound of Eric's phone. It made me jump and I spilled a little tea on my stomach, which made me twitch again and giggle.

Eric woke, rolling to face me with a groan of his own. Sitting up, he paused to lick the tea off my stomach as I swatted him away. He grabbed my drink for a sip and flopped back next to me against the head board. He rubbed his hands over his hair to wake up and looked around the room.

"Do you know where my phone is? That's what I just heard, right?"

"It was both of our phones, mine first, then yours. I haven't looked for mine yet, and I have no idea where yours is, but based on the ring volume, they're in here somewhere."

He stood, giving me a fabulous view of his ass, and rummaged in his pile of clothes for his phone. Shaking his head, he dug around in my clothes, coming up with my phone, but not his. He handed it to me, still completely unfazed by his own nudity, and wandered towards the closet where his rucksack had ended up.

"Ah ha!" He pulled his phone out of his tennis shoe and climbed back into the bed.

We opened our phones, "Who called you?"

"Hoyt," he said.

"He called me too."

Eric grinned. "His momma's having a shrimp boil."

"You don't know that."

"Wanna bet? Why else would he call both of us?" He flipped his phone open and called Hoyt back. Sure enough, his momma was cooking up a storm and Hoyt invited us to come over in a couple of hours. Mrs. Fortenberry was a nosy old biddy, but in small towns that didn't make a difference. She would do anything she could to help other local folks out. She might complain under her breath the whole time that they were sinners and going to hell, but she would help out. Plus she was one of the best cooks in the Parish. There was no question; we were heading over there for dinner.

Setting down my phone and glass of tea, I turned towards Eric and snuggled against his chest.

"You okay? You seem quiet."

"I'm exhausted and my body hurts in places that I didn't think possible."

Putting his arms around me he sighed. "Shit Bird, I'm sorry."

I laughed. "Don't you dare apologize! This is the best kind of ache, and I would do it again in a heartbeat."

"Oh really?" He lifted his eyebrow.

"Well, not this heartbeat." I laughed again.

"What would you say to a hot bath?"

"Ooh. That sounds good. I would love a bath."

"Alright then, I'll be back."

He got up with smooth movements that I was jealous of and disappeared down the hall. I heard the water running and sighed. It would take a few minutes for the tub to fill but I wasn't going to be moving too fast, so I turned and sat on the edge of the bed. Arching my back to stretch, I felt the bed shift and Eric was behind me, his arms circling my waist.

"You are a sight to behold, lover."

"Mmm. You're not so bad yourself, big guy."

"Come on. Let's go soak." He pulled me across the bed and I giggled. Then he lifted me up and carried me into the bathroom.

The water was almost too hot, but I knew that it would cool off quickly, so I stepped in with a cringe. I was a little surprised when he climbed into the tub behind me. We had never taken a bath together before. Smiling, I leaned against him and relaxed. Picking up a sponge and some bath gel from the rack next to the tub, he lathered the sponge and then began slowly rubbing it on my skin.

I must have fallen asleep again. I don't know how much later it was when I heard Eric's voice whispering near my ear. "Sook, we need to get moving if you want to do your hair before we go."

"Mmm hmm."

Eric laughed quietly right next to my ear, and I felt his chest moving. He pulled the plug out of the drain with his toes and put his hands under my arms as he pulled me up to stand with him. He wrapped me in a towel and turned me around for a kiss.

"I'm going to go get changed and make coffee. Go wash your hair and get ready. Okay? I'll bring you some coffee when it's ready."

I nodded and watched him grab his own towel to dry off. I felt the corner of my mouth lift, smirking as he left the room. He was easy on the eyes, that was for sure, but really I was smiling because he knew me so well. I needed coffee badly and he wasn't being bossy when he told me what to do, it was more of a necessary reminder. He knew that without it, I would wander into my room in a haze and sit on the bed wasting time trying to remember what I should be doing.

A little while later I was bent over, blowing some volume into my hair, the smell of coffee was getting closer and closer. Eric's bare feet came into view so I turned off the hair dryer and stood up. He was leaning against the door frame, holding a mug of coffee, dressed in jeans and a tank top.

Grinning, I walked over and took the coffee from his hand. Taking a long sip, I met his eyes over the rim. He raised an eyebrow at me, asking the unspoken question of how much longer I would be. We'd had this interaction a million times before.

"Ten minutes."

He kissed my forehead. "I'll be on the porch."

There was no point in dressing up; eating at a shrimp boil was messy business. I threw on jeans and a t-shirt with flip flops, grabbing a sweater for later as I headed outside to meet him. He was sitting on the stairs and I wondered if he had chosen that spot on purpose, so I wouldn't find him on the swing that caused my minor freak out the night before. He turned and smiled as I opened the door, then he stood to take my hand.

"Ready?"

"Yup." I nodded and we started walking to the car. About halfway across the yard I stopped.

"What?"

"I just realized that at some point I'm going to have to rent a car or make it back to Atlanta to get mine."

He laughed and pulled me behind him. "We'll figure it out. We can pick your car up on the way or you can fly back to Atlanta from the beach to get your car."

"Hey, we can stop over at my apartment. I hadn't thought of that. But that's a good idea. Maybe I'll fly back there from the beach."

"I'd like to see your apartment. And you know, you can always drive the 'Vette back here and go to Atlanta when you need to."

My feet stopped again. "Did you just say I could drive the 'Vette?"

Picking me up, he put me over his shoulder, and carried me to the car. I laughed and slapped his ass. He'd been carrying me a lot over the last couple of days.

"Of course you can. Just don't let anyone else drive her. Not even Pam, no matter how much she begs."

**EPOV**

Hoyt's momma could cook. I had been eating since Sookie and I got out of the car, and the main course was still boiling over the fire on the grill. There were twenty or thirty people milling about the yard talking while some of the old timers played horse shoes.

"Eric! Come 'ere!" I heard Jason yell. Glancing at Sookie at the end of the table with Tara, she rolled her eyes at me. There was no telling what he was calling me over for.

I grabbed another soda and walked over to where Jason was standing with Terry Bellefleur and Hoyt.

"What's up gentleman?"

"We're wondering what the plan is. What's going on with you and Sook?'

Seriously? These numbskulls were fishing for information about my relationship with Sookie? I sighed. I should have expected it really. They were so protective of her, and just because we were together now didn't make them stop worrying about her, especially since they knew I was shipping out.

"Well boys, we're heading for North Carolina this weekend and then we'll go from there. I'm leaving in a week, and I'll be gone for a year. So, I hope ya'll will take good care of her while I'm gone."

That's all they were getting from me. Sookie didn't know my plans for us yet, I sure as hell wasn't telling these yahoos.

"Well, at least Sook knows you're leaving this time going into things." Jason grumbled.

"Is she moving back Eric? You know we'll watch out for her if she's here." Hoyt chimed in and Terry nodded.

"She's going to see about working for the Parish, maybe taking over Miss Jane Bodehouse's job."

The conversation drifted, the guys started talking about the Bon Temps high school basketball team, and I just let it all filter through my brain. It was good to be able to relax with these guys for once. I hadn't realized it before, but everyone had always been a little on edge around me, afraid of mentioning Sookie I guess, or perhaps afraid I would ask about her.

Lafayette arrived talking loudly as he crossed the yard. He sat down with Sookie and Tara and I heard the three of them laughing almost immediately. The guys had moved on to talking about football and I joined them in reminiscing about the good old days. A little while later Jason was telling a story about getting a blow job from the cheerleading coach while riding the bus home from a football game when Hoyt's momma yelled that dinner was on. _Thank God. If I heard another of Jason's sex stories I might have lost my appetite. _

I grabbed two sodas out of the tub of ice and made my way towards Sookie. She was saying something to Tara and Lafayette, and I stopped to watch her. She was so animated and full of life. Slapping Lafayette on the arm, I heard her squeal and laugh, "Ooh! That's disgusting!" I knew he'd twisted something she said into a perverted joke. People were making their way towards the food, which smelled delicious, but I was transfixed watching her. Leaving her was going to fucking kill me. She turned then, still talking, seeing me out of the corner of her eye and smiling, motioning for me to come over.

"And that was the last time that woman tried to pull one over on me." She finished her story as I set our sodas on the table. I had no idea what she was talking about, but she laughed melodically at herself, and when she wrapped her arms around me I didn't care. "Let's get plates before Hoyt gets all of the good stuff."

There was at least half of a picnic table layered with newspaper and covered in hot food straight out of the pot. Hoyt's momma had outdone herself boiling up shrimp, corn on the cob, spicy Andouille sausage and crab legs for the lot of us. Everyone was piling food on their plate, and a few people had two plates, one for the salads and other sides and another for the main course.

We ate and talked making a mess with all of the finger foods. Hoyt's neighbor brought out a tray of pineapple upside down cake and there were groans from a number of guests. The thought of putting another bite of food in my mouth was insane, but just like all of the other men who had groaned, there was no way I was passing up a slice of that cake. We finished eating and the crowd thinned out. Hoyt and the guys were heading to Merlotte's for a beer because his momma wouldn't allow alcohol on their property, and Sookie and I decided to head home.

We were both exhausted from our marathon sexercising. I knew that I wanted nothing more than to go home and collapse, and from the looks of it, she felt the same. I made our excuses and Lafayette teased us about going home to have sex, which got him in trouble with Hoyt's momma, and we made it to the car before we began laughing. If Lafayette only knew what we had done earlier…he'd have been damn proud.

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**A/N: **

Okay friends, be kind and rewind. OH, I mean, review! Hee hee! Thanks so much for taking time to read. I love getting reviews from you, they make me smile and laugh and even scratch my head sometimes.

Thanks again to my betas. You girls...I have no words. *sniff*

I can't believe I'm posting this link from evil U of M, but it's where I got the constellation information from. Effing nerds. GO STATE.

http://www(dot)umich(dot)edu/~lowbrows/guide/constellations(dot)html


	13. Not in the Bathroom

**Title: Leap of Faith**

**Chapter 13: Not in the Bathroom**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Southern Vampires characters or stories. All copyright belongs to Charlaine Harris. I just like to rough 'em up a bit.**

**A/N:  
**Wow! Thanks for the review lovin'!  
If you're wondering, my family is finally healthy. LOL

Big hugs and love to my girls **S. Meadows** and **A Redhead Thing** for previewing and beta-ing. They keep me motivated. ART even gave me a deadline today! hee hee Thanks bb! No seriously, these girls rock my world. You need to go read their stories if you aren't already!

000oo~oo000~000oo~oo000

**SPOV**

The next couple of days passed in what seemed like the blink of an eye. We were packing our things for the drive to North Carolina and it didn't seem possible that Eric wouldn't be back in Gran's house for a year. I was trying to pack light. There wasn't a lot of room for luggage in the Vette and I was only going to be gone for a week. We had decided that we would stop in Atlanta at my place on the way to North Carolina and then I would drive his car back here. I still couldn't believe he was going to let me drive it and then store the car for him while he was gone.

I went into the bathroom to start loading up my cosmetics and toiletries. Eric found me a little while later sitting on the edge of the tub crying. "Bird, what's going on?"

"I. You. Oh, God, it's stupid." I shook my head.

"What is it?" He sat on the floor in front of me, his knees sticking up like a crazy pretzel.

I waved my hand at the counter. "Your things are gone. I came in here to get my stuff and yours was already gone." I shrugged. "It's stupid. You only stayed here like four days. It just made me sad."

"I can leave it here if you want."

God he was sweet. "You don't need to do that. It's, I mean, sorry, I'm such a spaz. It's just not enough time."

"You're not a spaz. And you're right. It's not enough time." He smiled, but it was sad. "Sook, there's something that I've been meaning to talk to you about, but it hasn't been the right time. I didn't want to talk about it in bed or anything, and this is almost worse, but I need to talk to you about when I leave."

"Okay." I wasn't really sure I wanted to have a serious conversation here in the bathroom, but if he was ready to talk about whatever it was, then I wasn't going to stop him to change rooms.

"There's something you need to know how the Marines work when I'm gone. If I had to leave tomorrow, no, don't panic." Hearing my breath hitch and seeing my eyes get wide; he took my hands making me focus on him, not my crazy thoughts. "If I left tomorrow, which I'm not, the only person that would get updates about me is my immediate family. The way things are right now, that would be my parents, or really Pam, since she's the only one in the states. Do you understand?"

"I think so. But can we add me as an emergency contact or something? What if they can't find Pam?"

He closed his eyes and squeezed my hands. "They can find anyone. The thing is Sookie, it doesn't work that way. I can't just add you to a list somewhere. You have to be my family."

"Eric." I had a feeling that I knew where he was going with this. I couldn't deny that I had thought about it. But that was it. I'd had a fleeting thought that I hoped we would get married; maybe before he left or as soon as he got home. But having a thought and having the actual conversation, two totally different things. I was trying not to hyperventilate.

"Hear me out. If something happened to me they would come and tell Pam. I don't want any of you to get that call, visit, or whatever. What I do want, is for everyone to know that what I have is yours. I don't want any question about where it should go."

"Eric stop." I was breathing now, but I was crying again.

"Hey, I'm careful." He said touching my cheek. "I take good care of myself and I have a whole group of guys that look out for me. But what I do is dangerous. I don't want to lie to you and pretend it's not. That's not fair to you. I will do everything I can to come home to you, but Sookie, I want you to be the one that's listed as my immediate family."

_Holy shit_. "Eric, are you asking me to marry you while we're sitting in the bathroom?"

"No. I am not nearly that stupid. I'm telling you that I want you to be my family and I'm praying that you want the same thing. If you say that you do, then you can expect me to propose soon."

"Like with a ring?"

"With a ring. And not in the bathroom."

I wanted to scream, "Yes!" and throw my arms around him, this was the moment that I had dreamed of, well, not exactly, but it was would have the same outcome. But I was terrified to even consider it. Somewhere in my head I thought that if we didn't get married now he had to come home to me. Another part of my brain shouted, "This may be your only chance!"

"Eric. It's just happening so fast. I'm a little scared."

Sitting up straighter, he looked me in the eye. "I'm scared too Sookie, but I'm in love with you. I always have been." He tucked some hair behind my ear. "When I realized that you still loved me too, I knew what I wanted for us, for our future. I want you to be my family and I want everyone to know it. You are my life. We don't have much time together right now, but we will, I promise."

Suddenly, listening to him, it was obvious that he needed me as much as I needed him. We had both been just drifting through life without each other. He was my anchor. I couldn't say anything, if I opened my mouth I would start to sob. I loved him so much. If I was his life, he was my soul.

My eyes were filling with tears. He misunderstood my reaction and tried to back peddle. "You don't have to say anything. Just think about it. Bring your social security card or your passport with us and that's all we need if you decide you're ready. We'll do whatever you want. I just don't want to fuck this up."

I crawled into his lap. "You're not fucking it up." Taking his face in my hands I moved so my lips were just grazing his. "Please ask me to be your immediate family. But don't do it here, or on the porch swing, okay?"

He nodded, his eyes on mine, and kissed me. It was sweet and warm, just perfect. Holding each other, we sat quietly, lost in our own thoughts. After a few minutes he whispered, "Can we get out of the bathroom?"

Slapping his back I laughed. "You can go. I have to pack up my stuff." I wiped my eyes knowing that it wouldn't be the end of my crying over his departure.

"Are you okay?"

I nodded and put my forehead on his. "I'll be fine."

"You know this is hard for me too, right? I wish I didn't have to go."

"I know. But you do. And we'll get through it." I bit my lip. "I love you."

"I love you too." He exhaled and then stood, helping me up. Checking his watch, he smiled. "Your brother will be here in half an hour. Will you be ready to go after we eat?"

"I'll be ready."

He went back into the living room, where I think he was watching television, since he didn't have much to pack. I stretched and sighed. I needed a cocktail. _Sweet Shepherd of Judea. Did we just really have that conversation? In the bathroom? Christ._ I hurried grabbing my essentials so I could get back to clothes packing. I had to figure out what to wear for a wedding, my own wedding no less. Oooh - and a wedding night. It was a good thing we were stopping at my place in Atlanta. I'd be able to grab some more appropriate outfits, shoes, and lingerie. Yeah. It was really a good thing we were stopping at my apartment.

I was carrying my bags into the living room when Jason arrived with coffee and cinnamon rolls from the bakery in town.

"Damn. Ya'll don't know what it took for me to get up this early. I met this girl last night in Monroe. Who-eee! Let's just say I didn't get much sleep."

Eric was cringing, expecting more details. Thankfully my brother shoved a cinnamon roll in his mouth and didn't' tell us anything else about his exploits. We sat in the kitchen, eating and talking quietly. I had been surprised when Eric said we needed to say good-bye to my brother, but I shouldn't have been. Eric had played basketball with they guys the day before and was really making an effort to reconnect with people that he had pretty much ignored for seven years because they reminded him of me.

I got the impression that having Jason over this morning was a changing of the guard of sorts; that Eric was telling Jason he trusted him to take care of me while he was deployed. It was a strange dance that these men did without saying the actual words and I wondered if my brother even spoke the same language as Eric. Smiling at their interaction, I knew that it was really unnecessary, and I think Eric did too, but he felt the need to go through the motions and it was touching.

Jason headed home, presumably to go back to bed, and we loaded the car. Eric dangled the keys at me and I looked at him, confused.

"Is this my road test? To see if you approve of the way I drive the Vette?"

"Funny. No. This is because I know you'll get tired before I will, and you'll pout if I don't let you do part of the driving. So you might as well drive first."

"Oh. Um, okay. If I drive I'm in charge of the radio, right?"

**EPOV**  
I woke a few hours later to the sounds of Sookie singing along to the White Stripes. "No you don't know what love is, you just do as you're told."

Out of the corner of my eye I could see that she was wiggling in her seat and singing, one hand on the wheel and the other waving around a bottle of Diet Coke. I turned my head to look out the window so she couldn't see my eyes and let her enjoy herself. I watched the road signs to judge where we were and the song switched over the Cage the Elephant's _Ain't No Rest for the Wicked_. Sookie had crazy taste in music. I knew if I listened long enough a show tune would pop up on her playlist and I was sure that there was country and techno in the mix as well.

Before I joined the Marines I had really been into music and I bought the CD's from my favorite bands as soon as they were available. But over the years, things had changed. While I was deployed I never knew what albums were coming out or what was popular at home. We had a radio station that played for the troops if you were stationed anywhere near the large staging areas, but for the most part the Recon teams were off on our own.

Now I was always behind on current music and movies and completely unaware of pop culture gossip when I came home. It didn't bother me that I got behind on that shit, but it could make you feel like an idiot when people were quoting movies or talking about things that were complete news to you. Shit, people didn't even buy CD's or rent movies anymore, they downloaded them, and all of that had changed while I was away. In terms of the music I listened to these days, I had pretty much reverted to listening to classic rock and my old stand-bys, like Metallica, Pearl Jam and Sound Garden.

Sookie tossed her empty soda bottle on the floor by my feet and I heard it roll against another one. I smiled to myself. She was going to have to go to the bathroom shortly, unless her bladder had grown in the last seven years. I rubbed my hands over my face and turned to look at her. She smiled and reached to turn down the radio.

"Hey. Did you sleep well?"

I nodded.

"I'm going to stop at the next exit to get gas and use the restroom."

"I figured as much," I said picking up the empties from the floor.

"Oh, yeah. Busted."

She had driven about four hours and I was impressed. Stopping for gas and a bite to eat, we stretched and walked around for a bit before getting back on the road. We had changed places at the gas station so that I could drive. I was biding my time, waiting for her to fall asleep, before I let my lead foot take over. Sookie drove about ten miles over the speed limit and I was more of a twenty over on the highway kind of guy. I had always liked to drive fast and the Vette just made me itch to see the scenery flashing by as I sped down the road.

Sookie fell asleep and I let the car do its thing. She slept almost fitfully, turning from side to side, and I had to laugh, I knew what the problem was. She slept an hour or so at a time, waking to talk to me for a few minutes in between, making sure I was still okay to drive. It was sweet. She had no idea that I could stay awake for several days at a time if need be.

After after another bout of wiggling around she turned to me, "Do you have any idea how uncomfortable this car is for a long ride?"

"Yeah, it wasn't made for road trips." I laughed. "This is actually much more comfortable than what I normally ride around in."

"What's that?"

I glanced at her, raising an eyebrow. "A dusty Humvee stripped down to bare bones full of sweaty men with chewing tobacco and cursing."

"Oh, yeah, that doesn't sound comfortable, or even pleasant."

"It's not."

She looked around. "Oh wow. We're getting close to Atlanta."

"Yeah. I was going to wake you up in a minute."

She stretched, arching her back, smiled at me.

"What?"

"I'm excited for you to see my place. And I'm hungry."

"We'll be there in what, forty minutes? Can't you wait to eat then?"

She unhooked her seat-belt and turned towards me. "Why? When what I'm hungry for is right here in the car with me?"

"Sookie." Was she seriously talking about giving me road head? I was falling more in love with this girl every second.

"What?" She batted her eyelashes and tried to act coy as she reached for the button on my jeans.

"Jesus. You just woke up. Are you kidding me?" I was getting hard just thinking about what she was going to do.

She had my fly open and paused, looking over at me. "I had a good dream. Are you kidding me, you don't want this?"

"Oh, I want."

"Then shut up and drive."

She reached into my boxer briefs and freed my erection. My left hand tightened on the wheel and I moved my other hand to the passenger seat headrest as she took me into her mouth.

"Fuck me." I muttered. How the fuck was I supposed to watch the road?

"Later," she said between licks over the top of my head. Her head moved up and down in my lap, making love to me with her hot wet mouth. She slid her lips down my shaft and I felt my dick hit the back of her throat and she didn't seem to care. Her cheeks sucked in and she moved back to the top, circling me with her tongue. I wasn't going to last much longer. This was insane. She was giving me the best blow job of my life as we flew down the highway. When she scraped lightly over my skin with her teeth my hips bucked towards her and she giggled, which completely did me in. I came with a groan, forcing myself to keep my eyes open and the car in my lane.

I was startled by the sound of a semi's horn. I glanced over and saw a big rig keeping pace with us. Sookie knocked her head on the steering wheel and I burst out laughing. It wouldn't have been nearly as funny if I hadn't just gotten off. She was blushing, but wiped her face, and then waved at the truck driver. I grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her over for a quick kiss. She tucked me in, zipped up my pants and then sat back in her seat, straightening her clothes and fastening her seat-belt.

I grabbed her hand and smiled. "Sookie, that was..."

"Amazing?" She grinned devilishly. "Apparently I'm a superstar. Our friend the trucker would probably agree."

Waggling my eyebrows at her I laughed. "I believe he would."

She gave me directions to her apartment and we wound through the city. Her apartment was of course on Peach Blossom Lane. Every other street name in Atlanta somehow involved Peaches. She lived in a giant high rise building which seemed so unlike her. We grabbed our bags and she led me through the atrium, stopping to get her mail, then over to an elevator.

We walked down the hall to her apartment. Stepping in, I felt like I had gone back in time. I stood there for a minute in the doorway and she looked back at me.

"Oh, yeah, I still have some of your living room furniture. It was too expensive to get rid of."

Sookie and her roommate didn't have much furniture when they moved out of the dorms at Tulane so I had given them some of mine. My parents hadn't been to visit in almost a year so I made them feel guilty and told them I needed a new living room set. They had me to order it and sent me a new TV the following week. I gave the girls my old television and let Sookie take what furniture she wanted to outfit their new place.

"I just didn't expect that you'd still have it." She couldn't sit on the porch swing but she had my old couch. Talk about a contradiction.

"Your parents bought quality furniture." She tried to laugh but gave up and looked sad. "I think it would have been worse if it had been from your apartment, but I just kept reminding myself that it was mine. Everything else was so hard I just kind of gave up when it came to this stuff." She shrugged and moved down the hall. "Let me put this stuff down. Want to go get something to eat?"

I wanted to take her into her bedroom and fuck her senseless. It's all I had been thinking about since she'd given me head in the car.

She came back down the hall and read the look on my face. "It's getting late. Food first, then fuck. Okay?"

_Oh my God_. Grown up Sookie was a vixen. _How had I failed to recognize that over the last week?_ If she hadn't blindsided me with her dirty talk I would have stopped her and taken her right then and there against the wall or something, but she got past me while I was still in a lusty haze and had the front door open.

"There's a great Mexican place around the corner." She was looking back at me over her shoulder. When my eyes finally moved up her body to her face, she was laughing at me. _Fuck_. I didn't care what kind of food we had as long as the restaurant served drinks. If I wasn't going to be buried inside of her then I was seriously in need of a beer.

000oo~oo000~000oo~oo000

**A/N:  
**So...What do you think? Can you believe they had that conversation in the bathroom? LOL  
"Like with a ring?"  
"With a ring. And not in the bathroom."

Where and how do you think he's really going to pop the question? Or will she beat him to it?  
Send me a review! Let me know what you thought of this chapter and how you think E's gonna ask her! (and cuz things are crazy right now, reviews would make me smile.)

Ch14 has been kicking my ass all weekend and does not want to get on a page. I'll keep pushing though. I swear.

There has been some drama going on behind the scenes in the SVM fandom. All I can say is that you should review the stories you love and continue to support your favorite authors. Some writers may be moving to different fic sites and things may get a little crazy. There is a new Sookieverse Blog trying to keep track of where authors are headed (most are just adding a secondary site at this point). http://thesookieverse(dot)blogspot(dot)com/ And who knows, this may all blow over.

I can't speak for anyone else, but I will most likely be posting stories here and at The Writers Coffee Shop. I have the same penname there. http://www(dot)twcslibrary(dot)com I think you have to register to read stories, and I know you have to register at the forum and library separately.

I think in the long run, most or your favorite SVM authors will find a place together to host stories, IF they leave. Hang on kiddies - it may be a bumpy ride.

Peace, Love and Vikings.


	14. The Entrepreneur

**Title: Leap of Faith**|  
**Chapter 14: The Entrepreneur**  
**Disclaimer: I don't own the Southern Vampires characters or stories. All copyright belongs to Charlaine Harris. I just like to toss 'em like dice and see what happens.**

**A/N: **Thanks so much for the reviews!

Viking sized love to my betas **S. Meadows** and **A Redhead Thing**. They keep me focused and manage to make me laugh and smile every day. They are the meat in my sandwich, the hamburger in my helper, the fruity in my pebbles, and the lunch in my box. I heart them. TY BB's.

I feel like it's kind of hard to follow-up road head ~shrug~ I liked this chapter tho. Hope you do too. You are about to find out where Eric lives when stateside...enjoy!

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**SPOV**  
Eric and I went to my favorite Mexican restaurant for dinner, then we came back and christened every room in my apartment with sexy memories for the time I would live there alone. I woke in the morning with Eric half on top of me, smashed against the far side of the bed and the wall. I think it was how we had ended up after the last round of sex and neither of us had moved. My bladder was screaming at me, I really needed to pee. Wiggling out of his grasp, he flopped over on his back with a groan, and I scrambled to the bathroom.

He was snoring when I came back into the room, so I packed a few special things from my closet, because I knew that when he asked, I was going to say yes. Among the things that I grabbed were an off-white pencil dress with matching sandals and several sets of matching lingerie, which I put in my garment bag so he wouldn't see them. I had been quiet, but I was sure he had heard me moving around. It didn't take much to wake him, but he could to go back to sleep in seconds. It was a new skill for him, seven years ago he would have slept through a nuclear disaster.

I put my bag in the living room and climbed back into bed, straddling Eric's legs and lying my head on his chest.

"Mmmmm." His arms wrapped around me. He mumbled into my hair, and I think he said, "Promise me we'll wake up like this every morning until I leave."

"You're not awake yet." I slid my hand slowly down his stomach and wrapped my fingers around his already hardening shaft. After just a couple of slow strokes he rolled us over and pinned me to the bed.

He rocked his hips against me, rubbing himself along my stomach. "You shouldn't tease me like that."

Licking along his neck, I kissed him just below the ear. I whispered, "Who said I was teasing?"

"Fuck."

He grabbed my face and kissed me hard while I grabbed his ass and arched against him. Seconds later he was sliding into me and our eyes were locked. Sensuously, and oh so slowly he filled me, my body stretching around him. We held still, gazing at each other, and I tried to etch the moment into my memory.

"How the hell am I going to leave you?"

"You better leave me exhausted. I want you to make me so tired that I won't have the energy to cry or run after you until you're long gone."

"I think I can do that." He kissed me, saying, "I love you," against my lips and began moving.

He pulled back, almost all the way out and inched back into me. It was agonizing and amazing. Continuing at that pace, he put his forehead against mine and clenched his jaw tight. I wanted to scream at him to go faster and harder, but I knew I would get that later. He was obviously working at keeping himself under control, so I let him drive me slowly, and completely, mad for release.

We lasted much longer than I expected, and I cried out to god when I felt my body begin to grab onto him, but it was Eric that answered my plea, moving a hand between us to rub my clit. That was all it took to send an orgasm rolling through my body. He kept stroking in and out, but his thrusts became harder, and he was muttering about how close he was. Then I felt him tense, groaning as he came, crushing himself against me. He briefly collapsed on top of me and then pulled us over, so I was back on top. Eric's hands rubbed lightly over my back while our breathing evened out.

"I think you did it. I couldn't run after you if I wanted to."

He laughed, his chest moving and shaking me, as I lay on him. We stayed that way for a while, unspeaking and unwilling to move away from each other. Eventually, he pulled me up and kissed me.

"We need to get moving. Did you finish packing this morning?"

"I did. I need a shower though."

"Really? I thought we'd just go like this."

"Smart ass."

"Alright. Let's go." Sitting up and bringing me with him, he untangled himself from me to stand. He helped me up. I giggled and climbed onto his back for a naked piggy back ride before he really knew what I was doing. He shook his head and carried me to the bathroom for round two in the shower.

Hours later, we were rolling down the highway in the Vette. We stopped for lunch and planned to call Cal and Soph to meet for a late dinner when we arrived. He held my hand across the console, and I watched the scenery pass by for a while, before drifting off. When I woke, Eric was listening to _Rush_ and doing air drums while mouthing the words to _Tom Sawyer_ as he drove.

I watched him silently. Moments like this almost made me forget the years that had passed. I was transported back to a time when we never could have imagined everything we had been through.

"Enjoying the view?" His voice brought me out of my memories, and I saw his eyebrow cocked at me.

"I am." We laughed and drove on, chatting about nothing and everything.

Eventually, he cleared his throat and glanced over at me. "So, I think there's something I've neglected to tell you."

That was never a good way to start a conversation. My stomach sank. What kind of bomb was he going to drop on me now?

"It's not bad. Jesus, Sookie." He chuckled. "It's just kind of, odd. Where I live, that is."

"Um. Okay. Where do you live?"

"I live above a bar…that I own."

"What?"

He laughed, the look on my face must have been priceless. What was he talking about? He owned a bar? How had he managed to not mention this? When had he bought a bar for Heaven's sake?

"About three and half years ago my dad launched a campaign to convince me that I shouldn't sign-up for another four years in the Marines. He gave me the money to open a bar in Jacksonville because he thought it would make me stay."

"Are you kidding me?" If there was one thing Eric hated, it was interference from his father. Mr. Northman had been an absentee and tended to pick the wrong battles to fight with his son.

He shook his head. "Nope. It worked out pretty well. It gives me somewhere to keep my stuff the whole time I'm deployed, and I don't have to pay rent or anything. I have a full time manager that takes care of everything. Her name's Thalia, she's a widow. Her husband died a few years ago in Iraq. When I'm home I sit down and go over the books with her, and we plan out what projects need to be done the next time I'm gone."

"So, it's successful? I mean, you make enough to have someone run it?"

"Yeah. Sookie, it's a bar owned by an active Marine near the base. It's successful."

"What's it called?"

"Odin's Spear."

I nodded, having no idea what that meant, or why he would have chosen it.

He smirked. "Odin was the God of battles or war. He carried a magic spear called Gungnir. It was said to have always hit its mark. It's a nod to my families' heritage and my participation the military at the same time."

"You chose the name to piss of your dad."

"Yeah, I thought about just buying a Hooters franchise with the money, but this was a riskier investment and more calculated fuck you."

"Um. Okay. So, is it really loud? I mean do you get any sleep when you stay there?"

"No, it's fine. The apartment is over the office and backroom areas. It's not too loud. Parking can be a bitch, but there's a spot reserved for management, so Thalia usually let's me use it when I'm around."

"Where do you usually leave the Vette when you're gone? Not in the parking lot at the bar?"

"Hell no. Thalia parks it at her house. She drives it occasionally for me to keep it running good."

"So, what's it like?" I wanted to keep him talking, while I was still trying to wrap my head around this bar thing. I didn't care, I mean, I thought it was cool, but it was another sign that there were things we didn't know about each other anymore. And that's where I was stuck. I wondered what else I didn't know.

"It's a big warehouse of a place. You know, pool tables, darts, live music on Friday and Saturday."

We became quiet and he exited the highway, maneuvering the city streets of Jacksonville. His cell rang, and he glanced at the caller I.D. before answering. "Cal. Good timing. We're just getting into Jacksonville. Meet us at my place in an hour?"

Eric laughed at something Cal said, and I blushed as he answered with a wink. "Yeah, we'll be ready in an hour."

He reached over and took my hand, bringing it up to kiss the back of it. "I'm excited for you to meet everyone. I hope you don't mind just sort of jumping into it."

"No. It's fine." I would have liked enough time to take a nap or even shower, but I could live with it.

As if he could read my mind, Eric said, "I know you want a shower, Bird. But I also know if you get naked in that apartment we aren't leaving it tonight."

"Good point."

He turned a corner, immediately getting into the left turn lane and waiting at the stoplight. He pointed across the intersection, and I looked up, "Oh, there it is!"

The brick facade looked like a warehouse, and there was a very large pair of wooden doors that looked like they were made out of logs that were tied together with rope. The sign over the door read "Odin's Spear" in Runic lettering with a picture of a helmet and spear leaning against a shield.

Going to the back of the building, he parked in a reserved spot and grabbed our bags; leading me into the building through a door marked "Private." We went up the stairs and he unlocked the door to a large loft apartment. I looked around. There were hardwood floors, a kitchen full of stainless steel appliances and the rest was sparsely decorated and open.

He put his hand on my lower back, ushering me inside. I hadn't realized I was still standing in the doorway. Taking in even more of the apartment, I saw two doors on the far side of the room which I guessed were a bathroom and bedroom. There were high windows around the outside walls, while several fans and shiny silver ventilation ducts crisscrossed the open ceiling.

"I'll put our stuff in the bedroom." He opened one of the doors, taking our bags in; and I heard him hang the garment bags on the back of the door, before he came back out.

"Not letting me in the bedroom yet?"

Smiling, he came over and took me in his arms. "Hell, no. I want you too much just standing here."

"Well, what are you going to do about it?" I don't know what had gotten into me. Maybe it was because we were running out of time, or because we were in his space, but I was beginning to ache for him.

He growled low in his throat. "We don't have time for the things I want to do."

I led him to the couch and pulled him down with me, putting my arms around his neck. "We have a little time."

And then his mouth was on mine. It was hot and urgent, as I responded with the same intensity. I would have let him ravish me on the couch, but somehow I only ended up with my pants unzipped and my shirt and bra on the floor as we made out like teenagers after the prom.

He was fucking me with his fingers and feasting on my breasts when there was a knock at the door.

"Sonofabitch." He muttered.

"I told you we should have gotten naked," I teased.

"You're not helping." He kissed me hard on the mouth and stood trying to straighten his hair and clothes before going to the door. I dressed quickly and tried to shake out my hair. Eric looked fine with a little extra pink in his cheeks. I on the other hand, must have looked like I'd recently been fucked on the couch. Realizing there was really nothing I could do about it, I sighed.

He opened the door and was met by Cal and Sophie Anne carrying a covered casserole and several bags of groceries.

"What the hell?" Eric's back was to me, but I knew his eyebrow was cocked at his friend.

"Don't ask. Your face is red. Shit. Soph, I told you we should have given them an extra half an hour." Cal was shaking his head as they came in to set their things down in the kitchen.

I stood at the breakfast bar while Eric said hello to his friends. Soph pulled him into a hug and kissed his cheek. Eric shook hands with Cal and I heard him call Eric, "Thor." Hmmm. A nickname. I would have to investigate.

Soph walked over to me and took both of my hands. "I'm so happy to finally meet you." She glanced back at Eric. "I'm not sure if you know what he was like before, it's only been a week and he seems so...alive. It's because of you."

"Um. Thanks. I think maybe he does the same thing for me."

"Well, that's a hell of a sign, isn't it?" She smiled and pulled me into a hug. I had a feeling we were going to get along just fine.

Cal came over to shake my hand. "Nice to meet you. Don't believe anything my wife says about me and Eric."

I smiled. "Oh, I'm sure she has some stories to tell."

"Exactly. And they're all bullshit. If there isn't a picture, it didn't happen."

Soph slapped his arm. "Well, then I'll just show her the pictures on my cell phone."

"Fucking technology." Cal muttered as he pulled a beer out of the grocery bags.

Eric was laughing at the exchange. He handed a beer to Cal, offered one to Soph and me, then opened one for himself and put the box in the fridge.

"Thanks for the groceries Soph. What's up with dinner? I thought we'd go out some place."

She waved her hand at him. "You two have been on the road for two days. I figured you'd want to kick back and relax at home."

"That does sound good," I said putting an arm around Eric's waist. I really did want to take my shoes off and get comfortable.

"See, I knew you'd understand. Would you help me throw together a salad and some garlic bread. The lasagna will stay hot."

Soph and I worked together easily in the kitchen, getting dinner ready and putting away the other groceries they brought. Eric and Cal sat in the living room area talking and flipping channels on the television.

"I'm really glad that you were in Bon Temps last week. Eric really needed to get things decided with you one way or another," Soph said to me.

"It's funny you put it that way, I pretty much thought it was decided."

"Well, I think he thought that too for a long time. But the truth is, he never got over leaving you."

_Should I ask? Was it too soon?_ Oh hell, she started this conversation. "What about Hadley?"

She glanced at me while she buttered the bread, "She was in love with him. He loved her, but was he in love with her? I never really thought he was, and now, just twenty minutes of seeing him with you. I know he wasn't in love with her."

I wasn't sure what she was seeing that was different, so I just smiled.

"He keeps glancing at you, kind of over his shoulder, while he and Cal are in there talking. And I can see it in his eyes when he listens to you talk, it's like we're not even here. All he see's is you."

Looking over at the couch, I caught Eric's eyes on me. He grinned, but never stopped talking to Cal.

"That's what I'm talking about," she said with a laugh, snapping me with the towel she was wiping her hands with. "Have you two talked about the future?"

I laughed. Oddly, the question didn't seem presumptuous or rude coming from her. From everything Eric had told me, and from our brief acquaintance, I knew that she was checking up on him, making sure that he had done what she thought was necessary.

"We have." I was teasing, making her suffer a little. I felt really comfortable with her. It was easy to see why Eric was so close to her.

Her eyes were wide and questioning and she made a 'come on' motion with her hand.

I laughed at her reaction. "He proposed to propose."

"Really? But he didn't propose?"

"Um, no. We were in the bathroom, it wasn't a good time."

"Oh, my God." She giggled. "You are going to have to tell me all about that later." She glanced over her shoulder and called out, "Who's hungry?"

We gathered at the table and enjoyed Soph's home cooked dinner. They were great people and I could see that Eric really was like family to them. I was accepted with open arms and everyone made sure that they didn't spend too much time talking about the last seven years. They let Eric and I tell some stories from High School and Tulane as well, loving that they had new things to tease Eric about.

I asked Cal about calling Eric, 'Thor.' They all laughed but Eric looked a little embarrassed.

"No one in real life calls me that."

"I'm sorry, do you have a life we don't know about?" Soph teased. "What he means is that only the guys call him that. They give each other nicknames based on where they're from or how they look or something. They decided Eric was a viking God, like he needed the ego boost."

That made me laugh. "I know, right?"

"Hey, I'm sitting right here." Eric huffed.

"I know, I'm sorry. We're not making fun of you. What do the guys call you Cal?" At that, Eric and Sophie were laughing hysterically.

Cal gave them dirty looks. "They call me 'Wolfman'."

Through his laughter, Eric said, "Because he gets crazy when there's a full moon."

Soph sputtered, "During a full moon? He does crazy shit all the time!"

Cal remained serious. "I don't really give a rats ass what anyone thinks of me, so I tend to do things that other people might not."

"Well, as long as you don't shape shift or anything..." I teased.

We all had a good laugh and then continued eating. The conversation came around to Twinings' wedding and the upcoming party/reception on Tuesday. Cal and Soph told us about the civil ceremony that they had attended on Friday at the Court House. Cal teased Eric that he'd gone out of town purposely to avoid the wedding. Apparently the plans for the party were all set. Twinings' wife, Jessica, had pretty much planned on getting married while Charles was home on leave, so she had only needed to make a few phone calls to get the ball rolling.

Eric was quite pleased that all he had to do was show up for the party. I offered to help with setting up, or whatever was needed, and Cal said I just needed to go to the liquor store with Eric. Soph laughed and said she'd let me know if there was anything I could do.

The guys cleaned up the table and did the dishes, while we sat and chatted. Soph and I exchanged cell phone numbers and they headed home, both saying they would talk to us later. It felt good to know that I had at least two friends in Eric's new life.

Eric had his arm around me and when the door closed he pulled me into a hug. He exhaled and I knew he was tired too.

"Tired?" I asked as he rubbed the top of my head with his chin.

"Maybe."

I laughed. I was exhausted.

He rubbed my back. "Can we go to bed?"

"I thought you'd never ask."

We brushed our teeth and got ready for bed. After washing my face, I came out of the bathroom in my ice blue lingerie; Eric was in bed and snoring. Shaking my head, I climbed in and snuggled next to him. I was asleep almost as soon as my head met the mattress.

**A/N:**  
DAwwwww. I know she was tired, but I would have stayed awake and stared at him for a while. Just sayin'. Please click the little button and leave me some review lovin'. I'll say thanks in advance, just in case the week gets crazy again and I don't get time to reply.

So...everyone kind of left the proposal scenario up to me. I'm a little afraid of the power I wield over these two! Hee hee. No, it'll be good. I have plans. Have a great week folks! Thanks again for reading and reviewing.

*Okay – so I am aware that "book" Calvin Norris is a werepanther – not a werewolf. I just went with the were/full moon connotation with him. Sorry if it confused you.

Note:

Information about Odin  
http:/en(dot)wikipedia(dot)org/wiki/Odin


	15. Daddy Mac's

**Title: Leap of Faith**  
**Chapter 15: Daddy Mac's **  
**Disclaimer: I don't own the Southern Vampires characters or stories. All copyright belongs to Charlaine Harris.**

**A/N: **

My beta girls are the bomb. They go over these chapters with a fine toothed comb and catch all kinds of little errors.** S. Meadows** and **A Redhead Thing** are just amazing. Seriously, I'm going to go bake them some Viking Cookies right now.

Thanks so much for the reviews of Chapter 14. I think all of you know what is coming, so I will get out of your way.

**EPOV**  
I woke early in the morning, tangled around Sookie, our hair and limbs entwined. She was wearing silky lingerie, it was an icy blue color that looked amazing against her skin, and I could have killed myself for falling asleep last night. I thought about waking her just to get her naked for a little early morning delight, but I didn't have the heart to wake Sleeping Beauty. I carefully pulled out of her grasp and went to the kitchen to make coffee.

Listening to the coffee percolate, I made a mental list of the things I needed to do: meet with Thalia, stop at the bank to get into my safe deposit box, meet my lawyer to sign the documents I had asked him to amend, and spend time with Sookie. I waited until there was just enough, and poured myself a hot steaming mug full of caffeine. Enjoying my coffee, I checked the morning news on my laptop.

I took a quick shower and got dressed. Sookie was still sleeping, hugging my pillow, looking adorable and utterly fuckable in that silk. I had to tear my eyes away from her. I left her a note on the breakfast bar, knowing that the sooner I started my day, the sooner I could get back to her.

Thalia wouldn't be at the bar yet, so I started at the bank. I hadn't accessed my safe deposit box since I opened the account. I had actually forgotten about a couple of the things I was keeping in there. I picked up the small black box that my father had given me when I turned eighteen. It was the one thing from my father that I was thankful for.

The ring had originally belonged to my great-grandmother, who passed it on to her son, my grandfather Northman. He gave it to my grandmother and she passed it on to her own son, my father. My mother, however, had made it quite clear that she didn't want a ring that had belonged to anyone else. When he presented it to me, my father explained that no one had worn this ring since my Grandmother Northman had passed away. I felt like a jerk, but I was actually glad that my mother had never worn it. Not that she would have tainted it or anything, but knowing her, she would have had it reconstructed into something else and it wouldn't have been passed on to me.

It was a beautiful as I remembered; the diamonds sparkling as they caught the light. I hoped that it would fit Sookie's finger. I had it sized before September Eleventh, but everything had changed for me that day. Closing the box with a snap, I put it in my pocket. I was really going to do it this time, and I felt great about it.

I drove over to meet my lawyer, Bobby Burnham. I knew the documents I needed would be ready after my phone call the previous week. However, I knew better than to assume Sookie and I would be married before I left; there was always something that could go wrong. I asked Bobby to change my will so that everything I had went to Sookie Stackhouse, regardless of our marital status at the time of my death. There would be no question as to who inherited everything: the Vette, the bar, my savings. Pam wouldn't care, she didn't want my shit anyway. The only people who were going to be upset about the changes were my parents, and I didn't want their hands on any of it.

Bobby's secretary told me that he was just finishing a meeting with a client, and if I could wait five minutes we could get everything taken care of. I called Thalia while I waited, letting her know I was back in town and wanted to sit down with her to check in on the business and decide what needed to be done while I was gone. Bobby opened the door of his office, ushering his client out, and gave me a nod.

"Northman. Good to see you. I've got your papers already for you to sign. Come on in and we'll look them over." He held the door for me, asking if I was well.

"I'm good. Thanks for making the changes for me. I know it was rather last minute."

"Not a problem. Not a problem. I do just need to voice my concerns here. Do you know this woman well? I mean, she stands to inherit quite a bit. I don't want you making these arrangements when you're not sure of them."

I laughed. "If all goes as planned, we'll be married before I ship out. She's from my past. I think I've been in love with her the whole time." Bobby always had a fatherly way about him, and he was much better at it than my own father.

He smiled. "Then I'm happy for you. I'm sorry if that was intrusive. You've just always been such a loner, I worry about you."

"I know. And thanks. Let's get these signed. I've got a lot to do in the next couple of days."

He pulled the documents out of a file, with tabbed pages for me to sign. I filled in my name as needed and shook his hand. The secretary copied them for me, and I headed back to the bar to meet Thalia. I glanced at my watch and figured Sookie would be awake, so I called her to let her know I had one more stop to make. She wanted to meet Thalia, so I told her to come downstairs in five minutes and I'd meet her out back.

I parked the car as Sookie opened the door, stepping into the sunlight carrying two coffee mugs: she was a goddess. I took a mug and kissed her long and hard.

"I was sad to wake up and find you gone."

"I didn't want to leave. But now I've got everything done, so after I talk with Thalia, I'm yours for the rest of the day." I ran my free hand over her hip and gave her a squeeze.

"Then I guess you're forgiven." She patted my ass with her hand and stepped back. "Let's go meet Thalia."

We went into the office. Thalia was typing away at the computer with soft music playing. She stood and greeted us, giving me a hug and shaking hands with Sookie. We gave Sookie a quick tour of the bar and then settled into chairs in the office to discuss accounting, staffing and updates. Sookie used the computer at my desk to check her email while Thalia and I mapped out a plan.

Eventually Thalia and I talked about marketing and updating the t-shirts that we were selling in the bar. The shirts we had now were pretty basic, with the name of the bar on the front left breast and the name and logo on the back. They made money, that was the only thing I liked about them. Thalia wanted some kind of catch phrase, that some how related the bar to the Marines with subtlety to increase sales with the Marine crowd. Most of the things Marine's say are pretty vulgar, so we struggled to come up with anything we could use.

Sookie piped in, "What about something about 'the tip of the spear'? I mean, isn't that what they called the Marines in Iraq? And it goes along with the name of the bar."

It was a great idea. Thalia clapped her hands in excitement and then suddenly, the two women were talking about all of the things that they could sell like guitar picks, can coozeys, key chains and bottle openers. They were making my head spin, I didn't really care if we had t-shirts let alone the other crap. I read over some invoices and wandered back to the stock room while they plotted and planned. When I came back in the office they were laughing and exchanging phone numbers. I leaned on the door frame, watching them.

**SPOV**  
Thalia and I talked easily about different items they could sell, and when I looked at Eric for his response, he was gone.

Thalia laughed. "He doesn't care about the "swag" as he calls it. People around here want to support other Marines and when they found out he was active duty, not retired like most of the Marine businesses, people wanted to buy souvenirs. I came up with the shirt idea, chain places like Hooters do it."

I snorted at the Hooters comment, wondering if she knew he'd considered the franchise. We talked a while longer, and Thalia had roughed out a plan for designing and ordering the new merchandise. We exchanged phone numbers and talked about getting together in a few months. I was thinking I might come stay at Eric's place a few times, to feel closer to him, while he was gone. I looked up and there Eric stood, with his hip propped against the door frame watching us.

"Hey," I said, going over to him and wrapping my arms around his torso. "Did you look at everything you needed to?"

"I think I'm good for today." He kissed the top of my head and looked up at Thalia. "We'll talk more later?"

"Of course Eric. Go show Sookie around town."

He smiled as Thalia, and I said our goodbyes. Eric took my hand and led me outside and around to his apartment. He reached for the door. "I thought you were showing me around town?"

"Tonight. Now I want to grab some lunch and curl up on the couch with you, and I don't know, watch a movie or something. I just don't feel like sharing you right now."

"That sounds really nice." I stood on my tip toes and kissed him on the cheek.

We headed upstairs and had leftover lasagna for lunch. Afterwords we sat on the couch, and Eric fired up his laptop to show me pictures of his Recon team and some of the places they had been. He'd seen some pretty crazy things, the palace in Baghdad, burning oil fields, and abandoned villages. Most of the pictures though were of his team and other guys goofing around, sitting together under camouflage nets, playing cards, eating food out of MRE packets or cleaning weapons. I was surprised at how happy they looked in most of the photos and I told him.

"Well, we're pretty serious a lot when we're on missions, so when we have down time we relax. It's really strange. I wouldn't be friends with most of the guys in my unit if we weren't thrown in together, but now," he shrugged, "I don't know what I would do without them."

"I'm glad you have them." I truly was. I would hate to think of him over there lonely or depressed. Don't get me wrong, I knew that it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, but seeing that he would have some opportunity to relax, or at least unwind, made me feel much better.

He shut down his computer and put _Office Space_ in the DVD player. I almost told him we could watch something newer, that we didn't have to watch something we used to watch together, but I did love the movie, so I kept my mouth shut. We stretched out, laughing almost as soon as the movie came on. There were so many funny people in that movie, but Ron Livingston as Peter Gibbons and Stephen Root as Milton Waddams were hysterical. Eventually, Eric stopped beating the actors to their lines, and I heard his breathing even out. Grabbing the remote without waking him, I turned the movie off and closed my eyes as well.

I was hearing music in my dream. It would come and go, like it was playing on the breeze. Then I heard Eric's scratchy, sleepy voice, "Northman," and I realized it was the phone.

"Um. Thanks but we have plans tonight. Yeah. Sorry. I'll call you tomorrow. Sounds good."

I rolled over, snuggling into his chest. "We have plans?"

"We do."

"What are we doing?" I was still nuzzled against his chest, so I was really mumbling more than actually talking.

"Fresh seafood, a walk on the beach, and dessert. Sound good?"

"Mmmhm. When are we leaving?"

I felt him move his arm to check his watch. "We've got about an hour."

"Okay. I should go get ready so I'm awake when you want to leave."

"You want me to make coffee?"

"Mmhm. You know me so well."

He gave my sides a squeeze and scooted down to kiss me sweetly. It was soft and warm, intimate and slow. Pulling back he slapped my behind and sat up, pulling me into his lap.

"Am I carrying you?"

Taking his face in my hands, I kissed him hard on the lips, "No." I stood up and made my way into the bathroom to fix my hair.

When my hair was finished, I wandered into the kitchen and grabbed some coffee. Eric was on his laptop doing something and he grinned at me.

"Sundress?" I asked, not sure what kind of restaurant we were going to.

He looked me up and down in my shorts and t-shirt, smirking. "A short one."

I raised an eyebrow at him and went back in the bathroom. _Sexy pervert._ I put a little make up on, I still wanted to look natural, and wandered back into the bedroom to find the right dress. I grabbed a sweater and some casual sandals.

Stepping into the living room, Eric grinned at me. "I was thinking shorter."

I mimicked him. "Smart ass." He came over and gave me a hug, kissing the top of my head. He had packed a bag and was putting it over his shoulder. "Are we spending the night?" I teased.

"No. Smart ass. We're going to the beach. I've got a beach blanket, a sweatshirt and a couple bottles of water in here."

I grinned. "I'm just teasing. Don't get all defensive." He gave me a strange look and laughed, then he led me out to the car.

We drove about 30 minutes to Surf City on Topsail Island. Eric was telling me about the restaurant we were going to. It was called Daddy Mac's Beach Grille and he said they had some of the best fresh seafood around. I watched the scenery as we drove and listened to him give me some touristy information about the things we passed.

The restaurant was right on the ocean, the salt air was crisp flowing through the dining room. Eric had asked for a table overlooking the water. Since it was a Monday evening and the restaurant wasn't too crowded, we were told there was only a twenty minute wait, so we had a drink in the bar. Sipping our cocktails, we listened to the waves, talking about Twinings' party the next day. Eric told a couple of stories about Jessica and the crazy things she sent to Charles while they were overseas. The worst example was that apparently one time she had sent him dirty underwear and a DVD of herself masturbating. Eric cracked up at the horrified look on my face.

"Seriously, you had to tell me that before we ate?"

He continued to laugh. "I'm sorry. I didn't even think about it. I was just on a roll telling you how crazy she was."

"And how am I going to keep a straight face when I meet her tomorrow? Wait - he didn't let you guys watch the dvd did he? Oh my God! That is even worse!"

Thankfully we were distracted by the hostess calling his name so we could be seated. Our table was at the edge of the deck. We could hear the waves crashing even louder now. It was relaxing and beautiful. We looked over the menu, focusing on the seafood. I chose the grilled Mahi Mahi with jerk pineapple salsa, while Eric ordered the Mac Daddy platter of fried shrimp, oysters, scallops, and flounder. I was a little grossed out, it sounded like a heart attack on a plate. He laughed, knowing what I was thinking.

"I only order it once a year Sookie, if that. I don't think I even made it down here the last time I was home."

Our food was delicious but Eric surprised me when he didn't order coffee and dessert.

"We're having dessert on the beach Bird, come on."

He ran back to the car to grab his bag, then we walked down the beach. It was romantic walking hand in hand, along the waters edge, with the man I loved. After a while things began to look more private, and he stopped to lay out the blanket. We sat down and looked out at the ocean. The sky was beginning to turn an amazing orange color as the sun started sinking over the horizon.

After a few minutes, Eric pulled two small pouches out of his bag and handed one to me. It took a second, but I figured out he'd given me an MRE, like the ones he would be eating when he left.

"What is it?"

"It's dessert, Sook. See, fudge brownies." He took mine back from me and tore it open, pulling out my brownie and holding it up so I could take a bite.

"Mmm. It's not bad."

"Nope, but it's one of the better things we get. Some guys will save them to trade with."

I laughed. It sounded a little like the middle school lunch room, when someone's mom had packed them Oreo cookies.

I finished my brownie and waited for him to open his own pouch but instead he moved around to sit in front of me on his knees. He scooted up and took my hands in his. My heart started pounding. I hadn't seen it coming. He smiled sweetly and began to speak.

"Sookie, I am in love with you. I know that I hurt you in the past, but I think that we have both grown and changed to a point where we'll be even better together. I want to share my life with you. All of it. I want take care of you, to spend time together and grow old with you. I will be faithful and I'll protect you with my life. When I sit in the desert sand I will remember us, on this beach, and it will get me through until I can come home." He pulled a small box from his pocket and opened it, and I could see a ring inside. "Sookie, will you marry me?"

"Yes!" Tears were streaming down my face. "You had me at 'I'm in love with you.'" Throwing my arms around him, I pulled him into a kiss and then pulled back to let him slide a beautiful antique ring onto my finger. It fit perfectly.

He told me that it had been his great grandmothers ring and his father had given it to him when he turned eighteen. He also told me that he had it sized to fit me when I started school at Tulane with him. The platinum ring was Art Deco style. It looked like there was a miniature Frank Lloyd Wright building holding the princess cut diamond in place. There were three small diamonds flanking each corner of the castle style setting and four more of the gems cascading down each side of the engraved band. I cried some more, whining about the years together we had lost. He kissed me, telling me that today was about our future, not our past. He was right. Pulling me into his arms, he kissed me and then wiped the tears from my face. We sat down, snuggling together with his arms around me, as the sun disappeared from the sky.

**A/N:**  
So...look below to check out the ring, it's beautiful!  
I have been completely fail at responding to reviews lately. This writing two stories at once business is kicking my ass. I will try to be better about it. I love getting reviews and I keep asking you for them; the least I can do is say thanx.

OH - you should check out The Sookieverse site! Daily fanfic updates, Book reviews of the SVM series, a directory of stories by banner (very cool), and all kinds of fun stuff. Join and even follow them on twitter! www(dot)thesookieverse(dot)com

An MRE is a Meal Ready to Eat. Food vacuum sealed in a bag.

Daddy Mac's  
http://insiders(dot)com/wilmington/wwwads/mainsailrest/mainsailrestaurantjump(dot)htm

**The ring:**  
Pic 1 http://yfrog(dot)com/c8antiquejewelrymall2096rj  
Pic2 http://yfrog(dot)com/c8antiquejewelrymallring1j  
Description:http://www(dot)antiquejewelrymall(dot)com/r630(dot)html  
Lavish beyond belief, this absolutely stunning Art Deco filigree antique style engagement ring is sure to attract admiration as it graces your hand. This ring is engraved on the outside of the band with a geometric pattern framed with double millgrain edging on the sides. The ornate engraved filigree castle setting is the perfect frame for a stunning princess cut diamond as its centerpiece, set in a secure four corner box setting. The crown is adorned with 24 round diamonds, and framed on each side by 4 round diamonds set into the top of the band. Total count of round brilliant full cut diamonds in this ring is 32. A perfect symbol of your everlasting love, this filigree engagement ring is a showpiece that will be cherished for generations to come as a treasured family heirloom.


	16. Just You and Me, Bird

**Title: Leap of Faith**

**Chapter 16: It's Just You and Me, Bird **

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Southern Vampires characters or stories. All copyright belongs to Charlaine Harris.**

**A/N:**  
KLEENEX - get it. Got it? Okay. That was a PSA from **A Redhead Thing** to warn you about this chapter - although they will be happy tears.

Thanks as always to **S. Meadows** and **A Redhead Thing**. I'm only as strong as the coffee I drink, the hairspray I use, and the friends that I have. I owe these two a zillion cups of Joe (or Alex) and some Aquanet extra hold for keeping me propped up! Any mistakes you find are mine - just mine, and I blame them on lack of coffee or sleep.

Thanks again for the review love for the previous chapter. I can't wait to hear what you think after this one! mwuah! Kisses!

**000ooo000ooo000ooo000  
**  
**EPOV:**  
I held Sookie's hand as we walked back to the car. It was pretty dark, so we were stumbling in the sand and laughing. The engagement ring looked gorgeous on her finger, and much to my relief, it fit perfectly. I wasn't surprised that she said yes, but I had been holding my breath waiting for the answer. We weren't you average love story, and I knew she might be a little shocked when I told her I wanted to get married the next morning.

As we rode back to my apartment I waited for the questions to start; I knew the wheels in her brain were turning. Her first question shocked me though, it meant that she had been thinking about this for a while, probably since our conversation in the bathroom the other morning.

"Eric, how soon do we need to get married so that we can make sure all of the paperwork is done before you leave? I mean, so that they know I'm your contact person."

Contact person. She was fucking adorable. "Sookie, you'll be my wife, not my contact person."

"I know. You know what I mean."

"Really, Bird, the sooner the better. There's always red tape and you never know how long things are going to take."

"Oh. Okay. So what are you thinking?"

"Honestly?"

"No, lie to me. Duh. Yes, honestly."

I laughed, grabbing her hand, bringing it up to my lips and kissing the back of it. "Don't freak out. Okay?" I glanced at her. The car was illuminated by only the dash lights, but I could make out her face and she was smirking, good sign. "Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? Eric! That's. I mean, tomorrow?"

"Relax. Just listen. There's no waiting period in North Carolina. We just need to go to the County Clerk's office to get our license and then we can get married. There's a Reverend that does a lot of ceremonies for people who either don't have a church here or are getting married at the last minute; that happens a lot around the base. I've talked with him a few times, about life and love and all of that."

"I understand, but what are you going to do? Call him in the morning? That's awful short notice."

"Cal talked to him when he did Twining's ceremony. He's free all week."

She laughed. "Busted!"

"What?! I've been planning this."

"We've only been back together like a week."

"Soph's been talking to me about it for at least six months. So there." I couldn't believe I just said that. But we were both laughing, so she wasn't going to give me shit about my childish comeback.

"Okay. So what's the plan?"

"Rise and shine at eight-hundred hours, comms with Reverend Taylor, a little PT, time for hygiene and grooming, transpo to the county clerk's office no later than thirteen hundred hours, and then to our final objective."

"Um. Okay. What's PT?"

"Physical Training."

"Are you going to the gym?"

"No."

She started cracking up. I'm sure she remembered the last time I exercised but didn't go to the gym. I certainly wouldn't be forgetting it any time soon. She yawned and stretched as we pulled into the parking lot behind the bar. It was a Monday, but there were still a fair amount of cars there. Thalia was gone for the night, so I slid the Vette into my spot under the a halogen light. It had an alarm, but I also kept it parked in a well lit spot directly in the view of a surveillance camera. I'm a protective father, what can I say?

We headed up the stairs and into the apartment. Sookie had mentioned that she planned to come back here while I was deployed to see Soph and Thalia. It tore me up that I had to leave now that we had straightened our shit out, but I loved the idea that she was making friends with people from my new life. I got to meet Amelia, and I'm sure there are other people she's close with, and I want to know them. We'll never get back the time we were apart, but at least we can find a way to build on our time together now.

We were in the bathroom getting ready for bed, and I watched Sookie doing her normal routine. She used the toilet, took off her eye make-up, washed her face, put on lotion and creme under her eyes, then brushed her teeth and put on lip balm. There were so many steps involved compared to my ritual - piss, brush teeth, bed.

She was putting the stuff under her eyes when she noticed me looking at her in the mirror. I had been slowly brushing my teeth for much longer than necessary, but she captivated me. Her movements were graceful, almost choreographed.

"What?"

"I'm just watching." It came out as a mumble because my mouth was full of toothpaste.

"You've seen me do this a thousand times."

I spit and rinsed my toothbrush before putting it away. "Yeah, but that was a long time ago. You didn't used to do that creme stuff under your eyes."

"I guess I didn't. I'm getting older."

"You're beautiful. You don't need all of that crap."

She turned and put her arms around me. "Thank you. And you're right, I probably don't need all of this now, but I'll be glad I did it in a few years."

"Really? I just thought it gave you soft skin like, tomorrow, or something."

"That's what you get for thinking."

"Har har. I'm getting in bed, but I'm not falling asleep tonight, future Mrs. Northman."

"I'll be right in, future husband."

"Damn, I like the sound of that."

"Me too. Now let me brush my teeth so we can celebrate our engagement."

I climbed in bed and listened as the water ran and she brushed her teeth. A couple minutes later she opened the door; before she turned off the bathroom light I saw that she was completely naked. I thought she might have worn some more of her silky lingerie, but I sure as hell wasn't sending her back to get dressed.

**SPOV **  
Morning came quickly, and I hadn't really slept well. Oh, I had fallen asleep exhausted, sated really, after amazing celebratory sex with Eric, but I woke halfway through the night and my thoughts kept me awake. It's not that I was nervous or uncertain. I want to get married, more than anything. I wished my Gran was here though. After all that we had been through I wanted her to know that Eric and I had made it back to each other. I knew she was up there watching, but I was still sad.

Then my thoughts went to Eric; where he was going and what he would be doing, and for the first time I truly began to worry. What if something happened to him? What if he didn't come back? I couldn't help it and found myself crying softly, but it was still loud enough that it woke Eric up. He kissed away my tears and held me, whispering sweet words and professions of love until I fell asleep.

I smelled coffee but could still feel Eric snuggled around me. In fact, I realized that he was running his fingers through my hair. Rolling over to face him, I was met with a grin.

"How long have you been up?"

"Half an hour. I started the coffee and came back to bed."

"What time is it? Did you call Reverend Taylor?"

"It's only seven thirty, we're ahead of schedule." He stretched forward, kissing me sweetly, then put his head back on the pillow and continued gazing at me.

"Eric, about last night. I got a little overwhelmed, that's all."

"Bird. We don't have to do this today. We can do it later this week or we can wait until I get back. Then you'll have plenty of time to plan everything you want, you know, for your dream wedding."

"That's not it." I cupped his cheek and felt my eyes fill with tears again. I wasn't about to explain to him that I hadn't even thought about getting married since he'd left. Well, except for the day when Alcide had tried to propose. Besides, it didn't matter anymore. "I want to do it today. I want to get married and be your wife. I'm just terrified of being your widow."

His eyes closed, then opened them and looked at me. "I never wanted you to have to worry about that. It was part of why I broke things off."

Putting my fingers on his lips, I interrupted him. "I said I was afraid, I didn't say we weren't getting married."

"Sookie, I don't know what to say."

"Say you love me and we're getting married today. That's all that matters." He did, but he managed to do it using body language.

A while later I woke up again and Eric was checking his watch. "It seems we have rearranged the schedule. We've taken care of PT, but I still need to establish comms with the Reverend."

I laughed. "Go call him so we can get this show on the road."

Eric got up and found his cell phone on the dresser. Still naked, he walked into the living room and made the call. He returned with coffee and a smile, sitting next to me on the bed. "We're all set. He'll meet us at 2pm. We'll have plenty of time after that to come back here for a while before heading to Twinings' party which will now be our own little reception as well."

"I don't know. Jessica might not want us to steal her thunder."

"Jessica will be fine. You have about an hour and a half to get ready. We'll go to the Clerk's office and then I'll drop you off at Thalia's to change, or whatever you need to do, and she'll bring you over to Reverend Taylor's place."

"What? I missed that in the plans last night."

"I know this isn't a traditional wedding, but I thought you wouldn't want me to see your dress before hand. So Thalia will drop you off. Our witness will be the Reverend's secretary, Betty."

"Thank you for thinking of that; but you know Eric, Thalia can stay, she doesn't need to just drop me off and leave."

"Nope. It's just you and me, Bird."

I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Can we take a camera? I'd like to get a couple pictures."

"It's taken care of. Betty will have a camera." He stood, taking my hand and pulled me up. "You need to go get showered. I'll take one after you so you have time to do your hair and whatever else it is that takes you so long to get ready."

I rolled my eyes, he knew exactly what took so long, he used to sit and watch me get ready. Heading to the bathroom, I showered, half expecting him to join me, but he didn't. I surmised that we had officially started our wedding day itinerary, and he was honoring wedding traditions as best he could. He surprised me with his decision to have none of his friends at the ceremony, but I knew why he did it. He wouldn't let me be the only one making sacrifices for our wedding.

Dressing in shorts and a blouse, I dried my hair while I waited for Eric to get in the shower. Once he was behind the curtain, I checked to make sure my dress wasn't too wrinkled and packed my cosmetics and shoes into the bag. By the time he got out of the shower I was back to drying my hair, our two garment bags hanging next to each other on the bedroom door.

Waiting for him, I considered calling Amelia and Tara, but decided that he was right, it was just us today. He came out of the bathroom in a towel and grinned at me, dropping it to show me his ass on his way into the bedroom. Emerging a few minutes later, he was in jeans and a polo, looking like a runway model.

"Do you have everything you need?"

"I guess. Um. I just realized though, I don't have a wedding band for you. I don't even know if you can wear it when your gone."

He sat next to me on the couch. "We have rings, Bird. I have the whole set from my great grandparents. I had them all sized at the same time. Mine should still fit." He took a small velvet pouch out of his pocket and showed me the two matching bands.

I tried the larger one on, it was way too big, even for my thumb. There was a giant lump in my throat and my eyes welled up. "Can you wear it? Would you have to leave it here anyway?"

Taking my chin in his large hand, he kissed my tears. "I'll be able to wear it, Sook. We're in gloves almost all the time. If it's not on my hand, it will be around my neck with my dog tags." He paused, nervously. "You need to tell me if you don't want to do this today. We can wait."

"No, we can't wait. I want to get married today. There are just a lot of unknowns. I know I'm not making sense, but, we're doing it today."

"Alright then. If you're sure, let's go get a marriage license." Nodding, I watched him grab our garment bags and put them over his shoulder, then he took my hand and we headed to the car.

The process of getting our marriage license was ridiculously easy. It took all of about ten minutes. Eric drove over to Thalia's house and carried my things to the door. He rang the bell and gave me a kiss while we waited.

"Hey guys! Come on in! So, today's the big day?"

"Yeah. Thanks for letting me get ready here."

"Are you kidding? This is awesome! Okay, get out of here Eric. This is girl time."

"You know where to bring her?"

"Yes. Now go." She took Eric's arm and was directing him towards the door.

He looked back at me, he was so much taller he could see over her head. "You okay?"

"I'm fine. Go. I'll see you in a while."

"Okay." He was still looking back at me as the door closed.

Thalia laughed. "He is whipped!"

"I guess so." I smiled and stood in the entry way; my nerves were starting to get to me.

"Well, come on in. I'll show you to the guest room. Let me know what I can do. Do you need anything pressed, or do you need help with your hair?"

"If you could steam my dress that would be great."

"Of course."

She led me to a guest room. I changed into my robe so I didn't have to pull anything over my head when I put on my dress. I went across the hall to the bathroom and turned on my curling iron. When I was finished putting the big curls in my hair, I put some spray on it all and then ran a round brush through it to soften the look. It came out perfectly, creating waves around my face and hanging gracefully over my shoulders.

Thalia came in and offered to help with my make up and since my hands were getting a little shaky. I accepted, showing her the colors I wanted to wear.

"So, neither of you mentioned this yesterday."

"Yeah. He proposed last night."

"Oh my. Well, that does sound like Eric though. He's pretty determined once he sets his mind to something." She had smoothed foundation over my skin and was applying eyeshadow while she spoke. "Tell me how he proposed."

I told her the story and she laughed about the MRE. "At least he picked a good one. Most of them are disgusting. Did he tell you they save their favorite parts to trade? They're like little kids."

We were quiet as she continued applying blush and powder. She leaned back on the vanity and smiled at me sadly. "You should know, Eric used to talk about you a lot when I first met him. It was back before my husband, Quinn, died. Eric used to turn down the girls that his friends were setting him up with, because he said there was someone he wasn't over yet, he never said your name though. I would have remembered it. Most of them thought he was making you up. Cal defended him, but they were all pretty afraid of Eric kicking their ass so they didn't bitch too loudly. I guess that someone was you."

"I guess so." I sighed. "We've missed a big chunk of each others lives, Thalia. I didn't even know about the bar until two days ago. Do you think, I mean, is there anything else I don't know?"

"Oh, I wouldn't think there's anything else he hasn't told you. He's pretty up front. As far as the bar, it's really more mine than his. It's just his money running everything, well, originally it was his dad's money, but you know what I mean. I think he still meets with me when he comes home to make me feel like he didn't really give me a bar after Quinn died. Eric wouldn't want me to feel like a charity case, but Sookie, the way he set everything up, the better the bar does financially, the more I make. It's in my best interest to treat the place like it's my own, and I do. I like to make Eric feel needed and help with important decisions, but he doesn't really care. Maybe that will change when he comes back next year, maybe it won't. Either way I have a hell of a business partner, and hopefully a new friend in his wife."

"Of course you do. Thank you for telling me all of that."

"Sookie, he loves you."

"I know. I'm not worried about that. It's..."

"Everything else, I know. But you know what? Look at me. Whatever happens, you'll be fine. Soph and I will be here for you every day. If you need to call or come out here to stay, we'll be here."

"Thank you."

Thalia stood and moved a curl away from my cheek. She nodded at my appearance and smiled. "Okay Sookie, I'm going to let you do your own eyeliner and mascara. I don't want to poke your eye out or anything. You have waterproof mascara, right? Then you'll be all set."

Facing the mirror, I added the finishing touches and took a step back. My hair looked great, and Thalia had done a beautiful job with my make up. It was a little bit more than I would wear on a normal day, but nothing over the top. Checking her watch, she told me it was time to get dressed, so I went across the hall to change. I packed my things back into my bag and hung it over my arm before going to find Thalia in the kitchen. She was holding a bouquet of roses and wrapping the stems with a dark blue ribbon that I immediately knew would match the color of Eric's dress uniform.

"Oh. Thalia." My voice caught, and she looked up.

"No, Sookie, don't cry. I had no idea what you were wearing, but I had this in my sewing drawer and it just seemed perfect."

"It is. It's perfect. Thank you. Did Eric tell you to get the flowers?"

"Yes." She smiled. "He called and gave me a list of things to do this morning when you were in the shower."

I shook my head. "He's amazing."

"He is. You've got a keeper Sookie." She clapped her hands together. "Okay. We have about fifteen minutes before we need to leave. So, I want you to come outside with me and we'll take some pictures of you by the flowers. I'll email them to you as soon as I get back here so you can see them the next time you get into your email. Sound good?"

"It sounds great. Thank you again."

Thalia had a good eye and took a number of pictures in a very short time. She directed me here and there, had me turn my head, look over my shoulder, and lay my hand over the bouquet with my engagement ring sparkling in the sun. I couldn't wait to show them to Eric. We climbed into her car and drove to a small subdivision.

"Wait here. Okay?" Thalia ran to the front door carrying my garment bag, chatted with a woman, handing her my bag before coming back to the car. "Eric's in the backyard where you're going to have the ceremony. So go on in and Betty will take you into the office."

She helped me out of the car and grabbed my flowers from the floor in the backseat. "Thalia, I can't thank you enough."

"You're welcome, sweetie. I'll see you later tonight at the party for Twinings and his crazy wife." She gave me a kiss on the cheek and got back in the car, waving as she drove away.

I stood at the end of the driveway for a second, gathering my wits. Exhaling, I turned to walk towards the house and realized Betty was holding the door for me.

"You look lovely dear. Come on in. Your flowers are beautiful. Your fiance is ready whenever you are." She took my hand and led me through the house. "The Reverend is out back. Let me go get him so you can meet him. I'll be right back." I wondered how many of these rushed ceremonies the Reverend participated in.

I waited in the office. A few moments later, I was met by an older man with a warm smile. He introduced himself as Reverend Taylor and told me how honored he was to perform the ceremony for Eric and me. He explained that he had known Eric for several years, telling me what a great influence Eric was on his team, whether they were at home or on deployment.

I thanked him, knowing he was right about Eric. He asked if I was ready and led me to the sliding door in the kitchen. My breath caught at the site of Eric with his back to me, wearing his dress blues, standing in front of a small gazebo. Betty was waiting off to the side, camera in hand. Reverend Taylor told me to wait, that he would signal me when it was time to walk out and meet them. He patted me on the elbow and went out to meet Eric.

The three of them turned to look at me, and I stepped into the sunlight, smiling so wide that my cheeks hurt. The immensity of the moment hit me. I was walking towards the man that was about to become my husband. He was the center of my world, and the realization of that in the last week had explained why everything in my life had been off kilter without him. I was fighting tears. How many times had I dreamed about this very moment? The reality was nothing like my old dreams, but it was perfect, and I was glad that it was just the two of us.

Eric was smiling at me, his eyes never leaving mine as I walked towards him. When I stood next to him, I had to wipe away a tear that I couldn't contain.

"You look beautiful," he said quietly.

Beaming at Eric, I felt his fingers on my wrists. He gently took bouquet from my grasp and leaned it against the step of the gazebo, before taking my hands in his. He squeezed my hands and turned his head toward the Reverend but my eyes never left his face. Reverend Taylor talked about bravery in marriage and in service as a marine before beginning with the basic wedding rigmarole, but I barely heard him.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today."

I continued looking at Eric, taking in every inch. All of my questions and fears meant nothing; they would still be there when the ceremony was finished, but at the moment, I didn't care. Eric was striking in his uniform, the dark blue a contrast to his blond hair and tanned skin. He seemed to stand taller when he was wearing it; I remembered that from Gran's funeral. Eric was an impressive man in general, but today, his demeanor screamed powerful and dangerous yet controlled. It was a little overwhelming, to see these things in him, and know that he was mine.

Finally, Eric turned his face to me, our eyes meeting. There was a sheen of sweat on his forehead, it made me smile, he was a little nervous too. He began repeating after the Reverend, reverently speaking his vows. I needed to pay attention. I wanted to hear Eric commit himself to me. I wanted to be able to replay these words over and over in my mind when he was gone, and know that he loved me as much as I loved him. He was holding my gaze, and I wasn't sure I would be able to speak when it was my turn. And then he said it, "For as long as we both shall live."

My eyes closed automatically. I bit my lip and felt his hand cup my face. "Sookie," he whispered.

Exhaling, I opened my eyes and tried to smile. Reverend Taylor looked at me questioningly and I nodded. It was my turn. He read the verses and I repeated them back to Eric. Thank God they were broken into small sections because I really had no idea what I was saying. I was focused on Eric; the look on his face and the feel of his thumb rubbing the back of my hand. I whispered the last line, pretending that if I said it quietly enough the God's wouldn't hear it.

Eric handed the rings to Reverend Taylor, and from the corner of my eye I saw him making motions to bless them as Eric watched. We exchanged rings, they fit perfectly of course, and suddenly it was over.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. Eric, you may now kiss your bride."

One blond eyebrow raised at me and Eric stepped forward, wrapping me in his arms and kissing me like we were naked and alone, his body poised to fill me.

**000ooo000ooo000ooo000  
**  
**A/N: **  
Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! Please wipe your eyes and go back about your business. LOL You may find it hard not to daydream about these two, I've been struggling with it myself. The green button is gone, but you can still click the little bubble and let me know whatcha think! :)

Here's a picture of the dress if you're curious. Very simple. http://yfrog(dot)com/f3lofdressj

A BIG Thanks to **Ericizmine** who answered a military question for me this weekend. Silly T, I was thinking about something like a civilian, she helped me see the light. If you haven't read her stuff, you are sooo missing out. Go read Saints and Sinners, you'll need some time on your hands though, it's long and you're bound to get sucked in!

Red - I know you loved the blind hair...I almost left it to see how many people caught it, but I just couldn't do it. LOL


	17. Get Some!

**Title: Leap of Faith**

**Chapter 17: Get Some!  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Southern Vampires characters or stories. All copyright belongs to Charlaine Harris. I wonder if she knows what we do with them? **

**A/N: **  
~waves hi~ Thank you all soooo much for reading this story and loving these two as much as I do. Big thanks to **Onefee27** and her sister for helping me out with a little military detail!

A million thanks, as always, to **S. Meadows** and **A Redhead Thing.** They are a continuous source of support and betalove. I heart them forever.

I'd like to say I'm sorry for doing this, but, well, I'm not. Here's the wedding from Eric's POV. It had to be done. You might need another kleenex, and then you might need a pantie change, so it's all good.

000ooo000ooo000ooo000

**EPOV:**  
I stood in the back yard, waiting for Sookie. I pulled at the collar of my coat, I was hot and slightly nervous. I wanted things to be perfect for her and I knew they weren't. Her family and friends weren't here and she was wearing something out of her closet, not the gown of her dreams.

Sookie hadn't said a word when I told her that we could wait so she would have her dream wedding, and it damn near broke my heart that it wasn't what she had always wanted and I knew it.

I remembered sitting on a bench outside of a bridal shop in New Orleans so she could try on a dress that she'd seen in the window. We had been on our way to dinner, and she stopped in her tracks in front of the store.

"Oh my god, Eric. When I get married, that's the dress I'm wearing."

"Really? It will look nice next to me in a tux."

"You should be so lucky," she teased. "Could we stop a minute? I want to see what it looks like on."

I had tried to follow her in the store, I mean, we weren't engaged, even if I couldn't imagine either of us married to anyone else. She wouldn't have it though, telling me to 'sit my ass outside and wait.' She'd always been feisty.

She came out of the store with a megawatt smile on her face.

"So, is that _the_ dress?"

"I can't tell you that!" She was laughing as she put her arms around me. Leaning in, she kissed me sweetly and whispered, "But that dress would look really nice next to you in a tux."

I was pulled out of my memories when Betty, the Reverend Taylor's secretary, cleared her throat behind me.

"You look dashing, Eric. Sookie looks beautiful. Reverend Taylor is talking to her now. It won't be long."

"Thanks Betty, for everything."

"Oh, we'd do just about anything for you and you know it."

Taking a deep breath, I walked towards the gazebo as the Reverend came outside to join me. He gave me a little wink and stepped up onto the platform.

"Are you ready?" I nodded. "Take a look son, here she comes."

Turning around, I saw Sookie stepping into the yard smiling brightly. She was breathtaking in her white dress. It was simple, but elegant, accentuating her curves. She wore her hair down, the way I liked it, and it moved against her shoulders as she walked. I couldn't take my eyes off of her as she came towards me. When she stood across from me I couldn't stop myself from whispering that she looked beautiful. She wiped away a lone tear that had spilled onto her face.

Reaching for the bouquet, I leaned it against the step to the gazebo, and took her hands in mine. Giving them a gentle squeeze of reassurance, I turned my face towards the Reverend as he began to speak. I tried to focus on his words, but Sookie was staring at me, grinning, and it was hard to concentrate. I had a fleeting thought that there was still enough time for her to bolt, to run away and leave me standing there like a fool. I deserved nothing less after what I had done to her, but from the look on her face, I knew she wasn't leaving.

Reverend Taylor began to talk about marriage and military service, comparing the bravery required for each. He said that being married to a Marine required just as much bravery as being one, and he was right. I was glad that Sookie wasn't really listening. She was focused completely on me and I knew her mind was somewhere else.

When it was time to recite the vows, I squeezed Sookie's hands and began to repeat the phrases Reverend Taylor read. As I said the final line, I felt Sookie tense. Her eyes closed and she bit her lip. I reached out, putting my hand against her cheek. "For as long as we both shall live," had hit too close to home for her and the pain that flashed across her face was fucking gutting me.

"Sookie," I heard myself whisper.

She let out a breath and looked at the Reverend, nodding that she was ready to say her vows. I rubbed the back of her hand with my thumb, smiling at her, trying to give her all the reassurance and strength that I could. She kept her eyes on mine, repeating the vows clearly until she got to the last line, which she said so quietly I could barely hear her. From her reaction to my vows, I knew she didn't want to say it out loud, to make the possibility of my death real. I was kicking myself for not asking the Reverend to have us say something different, but she had gotten through it.

Reverend Taylor asked for the rings and I took them from my pocket, handing them over. He blessed them, talking about the circle symbolizing never ending love. We each repeated after him again as we exchanged rings. I let out a deep breath that I hadn't realized I was holding and grinned at Sookie, my wife. Reverend Taylor pronounced us husband and wife and I stepped forward to kiss Sookie before he gave the word.

Taking her into my arms, I kissed her, and what I intended as a short, promising kiss became demanding and passionate before I could stop it. When we separated, we were breathing heavy, her hands pressing against my back, and thank God, Reverend Taylor was laughing. I realized that Betty had moved closer and was taking pictures of us grinning wildly at each other, and I hoped she had gotten a good shot of the kiss.

We posed for a few more pictures and went into the house to sign the marriage certificate. Suddenly, it was over. We were Mr. and Mrs. Northman, well, she had to officially change her name, but we were married. I was hers. She was mine. All of those clichés and I hadn't felt this happy in years.

Sookie and I drove home. Funny, how after a few repeated vows, my apartment became our home. I asked her to wait in the car and ran our garment bags inside. When I came back, I opened her door and picked her up, carrying her up the stairs and across the threshold. Kicking the door closed, I grinned down at my bride.

"I love you, Mrs. Northman."

"That's good. Because you're stuck with me."

Bending my head, I kissed her as I walked us to the bedroom. I let her down so she was standing in front of me and laid her flowers on the dresser. Walking back to her, I wrapped her in my arms and began raining kisses on her face and neck. Her hands caressed my back and then moved to the buttons on my uniform. I continued kissing her neck and ear as she pushed my jacket off and laid it on the bed. She muttered a curse when she realized there was a second set of buttons on my dress shirt, but deftly began working them with her fingers. Sliding the zipper down on her dress, I pulled it forward, off her arms and down her chest. The fabric bunched around her waist and I ignored it for access to her breasts. They were covered in cream colored lace; her nipples were already hard when I ran my thumbs over them.

She had my shirt off and was getting frustrated with my pants. I took a step back, pushing the dress over her hips and letting it pool on the floor at her feet. Clad in nothing but matching lace, I devoured her with my eyes. I unhooked the clasp on her bra and she slowly slid her panties off, smirking as she stood, letting me devour her with my eyes. I quickly removed the rest of my clothes and led her to the bed. Stretching out next to each other, we caressed and kissed, murmuring endearments.

My hand whispered down her side, across her hip and over her center. Gently, I slid my finger through her wet heat, her back arching her body into me. I caressed her, making slow movements that circled her clit and teased her opening. Her hips rocked against my hand as my lips moved along her neck, nibbling and tasting her skin. I slipped two fingers inside her, lazily pumping them, as she began to whimper. Covering her lips with mine, I kissed her with the same gentle care I was giving her below.

She turned hear head and breathed my name. "Eric."

"What lover?" I taunted.

"Please."

"This?" I moved my fingers harder and faster, making her moan. She griped the sheets and arched her back. Her muscles began to tighten around my hand; I drew my fingers forward, hitting the spot I'd only been grazing. She cried out, her body clenching tightly around me. I was still kissing her and stroking her when she her tongue assaulted my mouth. She pushed my hand away and rolled on top of me. Her nipples teased my chest as she bent to continue kissing me and rolled her hips against my shaft. She took me in her hands as she sat up; moaning as she slid just the tip of my cock inside her, and paused.

"Jesus." It came out as a hiss. Her eyes met mine before she sat back on her heels, sliding down my length, her head dropping back with another moan. Her hands gripped my thighs as she rose and fell, riding my cock. I couldn't think straight as she fucked me. My hips started thrusting to meet hers while my hands were on her waist, pulling her down so I was practically impaling her.

"Oh God. Oh God." Sookie started chanting and I knew she was close to coming again. She brought a hand around, rubbing herself and I thought I was going to die. It was the hottest thing I had ever seen. I tried to focus, to take in every detail, but her muscles were clamping around my cock and I could feel my own orgasm building. "Ohmygod Eric," she called out just before she came, hard.

She smiled down at me lazily and I quickly sat up, flipping us around so she was underneath me. Pushing her knees up, I drove into her over and over. Her arms wrapped around me, grabbing my ass, her nails stinging as they dug in. She bit my shoulder, and I was done. I groaned in her ear as I released.

Dropping my forehead to her shoulder, I released her legs and felt her stretching out. I knew that I needed to roll off her, but I couldn't move, couldn't pull out of her yet.

"God I love you," I muttered, more for me than for her to hear. She grabbed my face and pulled my lips to hers, kissing me firmly. Resting my weight on my elbows, I opened my eyes and realized her face was covered in tears. "Shit. Sookie. Please don't cry."

"No. It's okay. They're happy tears, mostly."

"Bird." I slipped out of her and we both made sad noises. Pulling her with me, I rolled us so her head was resting on my chest. I stroked her hair. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I love you. Today was just kind of a roller coaster."

"You like roller coasters."

She laughed, her breath teasing my chest. Sitting up on her elbow, she gave me a small smile. "Are we supposed to be at Twinings' party at a particular time? Aren't we supposed to deliver alcohol or something?"

"Um. Not really. I told Cal today that I didn't know what time we'd be there and he needed to take care of it. I promised to pay him back and that you'd cook him the _real_ Stackhouse chicken before we left."

"You told him?"

"No. But he probably knows. I didn't tell him because he can't lie to Soph and she would have crashed the wedding."

"They could have come."

"No. It was just us. That's how it was supposed to be."

"It was pretty special." She smirked.

"It was. Betty has probably already emailed the pictures if you want to check them out."

"Tomorrow, I think. Should we call your parents, or Pam?"

"Tomorrow. Right now I think I should help you take a shower."

"Oh really? You think I need help?"

"Well, you've got some hard to reach places." I ran my hands over her ass, slipping one hand between her legs to emphasize my point.

**SPOV**  
Stepping out of the Vette I was prepared to plaster a smile on my face to meet all of Eric's friends and their wives or significant others. I was nervous, because we were springing our marriage on all of them. We were at a beach house, apparently owned by some retired Recon Marine that let the guys hang out on his sand and throw parties on a regular basis. Eric came around the car, taking my hand, rubbing his thumb over my rings as we walked towards the house.

Cal came down the driveway to meet us. He grabbed Eric's left hand, then dropped it, shaking his head. "Sonofabitch. She's gonna fucking kill you, jackass."

"Thank you. We're very happy." Oh, sarcastic Eric was not a good start to the night.

Cal rolled his eyes, and exhaled. He smiled at me. "Congratulations, Sookie." He chuckled. "Although I'm not sure why you wanted to be saddled with this guy for eternity."

"Oh, he has his moments." I tried to keep up with Cal's mood swing and continued teasing. Eric hugged me to his side and we walked towards the house. Soph came out the front door grinning at us.

"Hey, you two finally got out of bed to join us?" She continued walking out to us, hugging Eric and giving him a kiss on the cheek. She hugged me as well, and then pulled me away from Eric to link her arm with mine. I was waiting for her to see my wedding band, uncertain of how she would react. Cal thought she was going to be upset, but Eric had shrugged it off earlier. We didn't get more than five steps down the driveway when she stopped suddenly, holding my hand up and looking at it like I had a deformity.

"What. The. Fuck? Eric Alexander Northman. Did you marry this woman?"

Oh shit! She busted out his middle name. He was in big trouble. I pulled my hand away, wrapping it around my waist as I felt Eric's body press along the length of my back. Seriously, was he hiding behind me? He squeezed my shoulder and I realized he meant it as a comforting gesture.

"I did."

"Well, good for you!" She squealed, throwing her arms around both of us, completely shocking her husband. "Did you know about this?" She gave Cal a dirty look.

"Hell no."

"Then you're safe." She released us and reached up, cuffing Eric on the back of the head. "There had better fucking be pictures, numb nuts." She re-linked our arms and walked towards the house like nothing had happened.

What. The. Fuck? I glanced back at Eric, who shrugged, and Cal punched him in the arm. Boys.

As we approached the house, Soph said, "I have no idea what Eric's plan is, but Jessica is crazy, you might want to keep it on the down low around her."

"That's what I was thinking. Eric says it will be fine."

"Eric has a penis. He can't truly comprehend the idea of a bridezilla."

"What if Eric makes a big announcement or something?"

"She's not going to get in a cat-fight with him, and her husband will just think it's cool that Eric is sharing his party. Eric is a cool kid, Twinings is not."

I raised an eyebrow at her in question, trying not to laugh at the fact I was taking on Eric's mannerisms.

"I'm serious." She laughed, coming through the door behind me.

The guys were right behind us, I had heard them talking in low tones as we walked. When they came through the door, most of the other men in the house raised their beers and yelled, "Thor!"

Someone tossed a can of beer to Eric, which he raised up in salute, grinning and yelling, "Get some!"

I looked at him like he was speaking a foreign language and upon seeing the look on my face, Soph bent over in laughter. I hadn't seen Eric act like this since we went to the bar with his friends back in college. It was a little unsettling.

Eric snaked his arm around my waist, leaning down for a kiss and I swear to God the room went silent, well, except for Soph's shrieks of laughter.

As suddenly as things had gone quiet, the whole room filled with cheers and cries of, "Get some!" I seriously hoped that it was some sort of Marine phrase and all of these men weren't talking about our sex life.

A tall man with dark hair and a dangling earring came over to give Eric a one armed hug. Even with short hair he had the air of a pirate. It was just something about him.

"Thor! Thanks for coming man! And you brought a date! How cool! I haven't seen you out with a chick that wasn't Soph in, forever!"

"Charles. Congratulations. I wouldn't miss your party. This is my wife, Sookie. Sookie, this is Charles Twinings."

"Congratulations, Charles. So nice to meet you!"

Charles was grinning from ear to ear and then Eric's words seemed to catch up with his thoughts. I was really hoping he was drunk, because I wasn't sure I wanted this guy covering Eric's back in a fire fight. He looked at Eric, then turned his head towards me with a look of confusion. A light bulb seemed to go off behind his eyes and he started laughing. "Shutthefuckup! That's the coolest shit I've heard all day!" He yelled over his shoulder, "Jessica! Get over here!"

My eyes darted around the room trying to find Cal and Soph. Eric leaned down and kissed right in front of my ear. "Relax. She won't hurt you." Easy for him to say.

A very young redhead with porcelain skin joined Charles; they made the oddest couple I could imagine. "Jess! You remember Eric, yeah? And this is his wife Skokie. They just go married too!"

She looked a little wild, but Charles smoothed a hand down her back, and she seemed to calm down.

"It's Sookie." I smiled. "Congratulations!" I was trying to put my best foot forward without having it stomped on. She looked seriously crazy.

Soph swooped in to rescue me. "Oh great! You met Sookie! I'm just gonna borrow her. Come on let's go down to the beach. They're piling up wood for a bonfire later."

She pulled me along behind her, leaving Eric looking confused. Instead of the beach, we ended up in the kitchen, where Soph started making a drink. She told me to help myself, and I mixed a strong Gin and Tonic. I had a feeling I was going to need it, with crazy Jessica running around and a large contingency of drunken Marines. Then she handed me a hot dog and told me not to drink on an empty stomach.

We mingled around the party, quietly shocking everyone as she introduced me as Eric's wife. I nodded and smiled, repeatedly explaining that we had dated before he joined the Marines. One very drunk woman had the balls to ask me if he was as good in bed as she imagined.

Before I could say anything, Soph jumped in, "Oh, you just keep dreaming about Eric. Sookie here's the only one he'll be making scream his name!"

It seemed to put the woman in her place, and as Soph surveyed her kingdom, she let them all know I was under her protection. It was good to be friends with the Queen Bee.

Wandering outside she introduced me to a few men who were grilling and smoking cigars. After a few minutes, we walked out to the shore, watching the water rush in and out. She turned to me and brushed some hair off my shoulder.

"I'm not mad at him."

This was a conversation she really needed to have with Eric, but I smiled. "I know you're not."

"I'm sad that you didn't have anyone there with you, either of you, but I suppose that makes it special as well."

"It does. It was just the two of us."

"You swear there are pictures?" I nodded. She looked at me and her smile slipped away. "Are you going to be okay?"

Holding her gaze, I said quietly, "I have no idea. Probably not."

"I'll be here."

I sighed. "Good." Turning my head back to the sea, I watched the waves rolling in for a moment. "I suppose we should go find our husbands."

It was surreal to think of Eric that way, but that's what he was. We turned back towards the house and our men were sitting about twenty feet away in the sand near the porch.

"What? You don't trust me with your wife, Northman?"

"I was afraid you were filling her head with lies about me."

"Oh hell, I'll have a whole year to do that."

When she got closer, Cal stood and pulled her into his arms. They waved goodbye and headed back up to the house. Eric stayed seated and reached a hand out to me. When I thought he was going to stand, he pulled me gently downwards, and I climbed into his lap.

"Mmmm. You smell good." His nose was in my hair, teasing the sensitive line of my neck below my ear. "You're popular, you know that? The guys think you're hot and the girls all say you're sweet."

I laughed. "The girls think I'm sweet because Soph took me under her wing."

"Well, they'll figure out you really are sweet if they get to know you."

He started kissing me and my hands found their favorite place in his hair. We stayed there, kissing lazily and talking quietly until someone yelled it was time to cut the cake. It was a fitting, and unexpected, end to our wedding day that had been better than anything I could have dreamed.

000ooo000ooo000ooo000

**A/N:**  
Aw....what a day! I freakin love Soph. She is the greatest. I want her for a friend for real.  
I know I've been saying I'll do better responding for reviews for the last, what, month? But I'll really try. There was an accident involving a baby, a glass of water and my laptop last night, so I'm on the back up for a couple of days til the damage can be assessed. Fingers crossed for poor Lappy.

And now for something completely different...You should check out the new SVM/TB **DEAD PAN CONTEST** which is going on right now. It features parodies of our our favorite Viking & barmaid, culled from books, TV, films, cartoons or even fairytales. If you've never written before, this is a great (and fun!) way to get your feet wet.

Details here: **http://www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/~deadpancontest**

The current entries need your review love! If you're looking for something good to read, please head over there now!!!


	18. Time Flies

**Title: Leap of Faith**  
**Chapter 18: Time Flies **  
**Disclaimer: I don't own the Southern Vampires characters or stories. All copyright belongs to Charlaine Harris. I just take them out of the box to play.**

**A/N: (kinda long. LOL)  
**

Hello all! Thanks so much for all of the great comments after the wedding chapters! I'm glad that you appreciated Eric's POV, I always do. :)

There were some questions after the last chapter about Marine phrases, like 'Get Some!' There's a link at the end of this chapter to a list of Marine jargon and the Generation Kill trailer, which is the mini series that made many of us familiar with that particular phrase.

Lappy update - we were looked down on by the computer Gods and all is A-okay. LOL

Because I feel like everyone is a little on edge about what is coming, I will tell you that this chapter is mostly happy with a little sad. The next chapter is the big one. I am telling you now because neither of my betas or myself have been able to read it without crying, even after multiple reads. So prepare yourself. He's really deploying. I will also be upfront with you that there will be HEA (happily ever after), so don't go panicking that Eric is going to die. He will be fine.

Much love to my trusty beta team of **S. Meadows** and **A Redhead Thing** who are the best ever. Thank you for loving Marine Eric and his Bird as much as I do. You two have helped me keep my sanity, as I bite my nails and ask you every week, "Is it okay?!"

Without any further ado, here is chapter 18:

000ooo000ooo000

**SPOV**

The day after the wedding, Eric had gone on base and completed the necessary paperwork to document our marriage. He'd come home and sat me down in the living room with a fireproof box, going over his important documents; papers for the bar, the Vette, bank and investment statements, and the pièce des résistance, his will and D.N.R. forms stating that if it ever became necessary, he didn't want to be placed on life support. I had ended up a blubbering mess, hiccuping and sobbing, getting snot all over Eric.

Eric called his parents and Pam from Thalia's office in the bar, putting everyone on speaker phone. His parents were a little shocked, but Pam wasn't surprised. They congratulated us and Mr. and Mrs. Northman promised to get in touch with me the next time they were in the states. It was a little odd. I figured they would come to Bon Temps when Pam had the baby, but no one mentioned it. But then again, that's why Pam and Eric had grow up with Aunt O.; his parents didn't know how to be parents.

Calling my friends and family had been kind of fun. Amelia had squealed and yelled before she burst in to tears. Tara, on the other hand, took a few seconds to absorb the news, and then got excited, congratulating us and asking for all of the details. While Amelia had been there for me when I tried to get back out into the world, Tara had pulled me out of a massive pit of despair, so it made sense that she was feeling cautious. Calling Jason had turned into another conference call, since we caught him having lunch at Merlotte's. He put his cell phone on speaker and let everyone yell their congratulations.

I called my boss, Chow, in Atlanta, while Eric was on base. He was actually a pretty great guy, and I laid it all out for him. My history with Eric, our chance meeting again and now our marriage. Chow couldn't stop laughing, telling me he knew that I'd been holding back for years, and he'd been waiting for me to do something crazy. He was happy for me and promised to do everything he could to help me transition to the job in Louisiana.

The next several days flew by. I was feeling a little sleep deprived. We'd been staying up late talking, before going to bed and having a marathon of sex, then grabbing just a couple of hours sleep.

We had dinner with Cal and Soph one night. I made Stackhouse Chicken, because Eric had promised it to Cal, and filled Soph in on the 'secret recipe.' She thought it was hysterical and we compared stories about watching Eric try to cook. Apparently, he had tried to make pineapple upside down cake at their place one Christmas, and he'd never lived it down. After dinner, the guys told great stories about practical jokes they'd played on friends, while Soph and I teased them about what a group of teenage boys they seemed like. At some point we started playing cards, which I am always horrible at, and we stayed up until dawn, drinking and talking.

Eric had explained some of the Marine jargon to me after Twinings' party. I told him that they freaked me out a little when they all yelled "Get Some!" and he thought that was hysterical. He explained that it was the unofficial Marine battle cry, and that they said it all the time. He taught me some other slang, like that they called hats 'cover,' flashlights were 'moonbeams,' and a 'rack' was a bed. I told him that I already knew that the bathroom was a 'head,' he laughed and said I watched too many movies.

We met the guys from Eric's unit downstairs at the bar another night, it was interesting, to say the least. Eric was getting us drinks when a couple of the guys started telling me stories about some of their "favorite" missions. A guy named Victor was rambling on, but I wasn't entirely listening; I'd only met the guy twice, and I realized he never shut up. I caught something he said, and tried to listen, because I knew I'd misheard him. At the same time, I saw Eric smiling at me as he came over to join us. He looked worried when he saw my confusion and then his face hardened when he heard what Victor was saying.

"Shut the fuck up, asshole."

"What? Dude, when we lit that place up-"

Eric grabbed him by the front of the shirt, he didn't pull him forward, just twisted the fabric, and interrupted. "Did you just tell my wife we attacked a fucking orphanage without telling her the whole story?"

"Wha? Oh, shit." Victor glanced at me looking terrified. "There weren't any kids in there, ma'am. It was a rebel hideout. Didn't I say that?"

"No, you didn't. Thank you for clarifying." Eric was still staring daggers at his friend. I reached up, putting a hand on his chest, and he looked down at me. "Come on, let's go for a walk."

Taking Eric's hand, we walked towards the back of the bar. I went straight to the door that went to the office area, and Eric unlocked the door for us. It became much quieter as soon as the door closed behind us. Eric looked at me nervously; he probably thought I was mad at him, but I led him to the office without a word and pushed him down on the couch. He looked up at me, no doubt expecting me to lay into him for practically starting a fight in the bar.

I hiked my skirt up as I climbed into his lap, straddled his legs, and sat back.

"Now talk."

"What?" It was not what he expected me to say.

"You would never have told me any of that story, and now that I've only heard a piece of it, you're worried that I'm upset, or freaked out."

He sighed and licked his lips. "Sookie, shit happens over there that is really hard to describe to people back at home."

I put my hand on his mouth. "Stop. I get it. You don't have to explain that to me. Tell me the story about the orphanage, not some blanket statement that shit happens."

He sighed, nodding and told me the story. They had been given orders to locate and eliminate a group of rebels that were believed to be responsible for planting Improvised Explosive Devices, or IED's, on the road to Basrah. I wasn't sure what he meant by 'eliminate,' and I wasn't going to ask. He explained that they spent a few days tracking them, I'm sure he gave me a simplified version, and that they were able to find the abandoned building the rebels were operating out of. When they tried to clear the building, a firefight broke out that eventually collapsed the back wall of the building.

"That's not so bad. I mean, I worry for you, but, why wouldn't you want me to know about that?"

"It's not that I don't want you to know, Sook." He shook his head. "That story is nothing, but Victor made it sound like we blew up an orphanage full of kids. That's what I hate. Nothing is ever simple there and, fuck, it doesn't always translate well. There's a lot of shit that I can't tell you about too. Places we weren't supposed to be, and things we probably shouldn't have seen."

"Eric, I'm okay with that. I don't think I want to know everything, but don't ever feel like you can't tell me something. If it requires some explanation, I'll listen. I don't judge you, or anyone over there."

He moved some hair off my forehead, and pulled me into a kiss. Sitting back, he smiled. "I love you, Bird."

"I know. How could you not?" I teased, running my hands over his chest, watching his eyes darken.

His hands covered mine. "Don't start something you're not going to finish and then send me back out there."

I moved his hands behind me, putting them on my ass, and put my own hands on his belt buckle. Glancing up at his eyes, I lowered his zipper, finding him commando, and already hard. Biting my lip, I wrapped my hand around him, sliding my thumb over the tip; my eyes closed and I moaned in anticipation. I pumped my hand up and down a couple of times, and raised myself up on my knees. Eric's hands slid around my hips, and I felt the elastic on the waist of my panties give. I knew I'd lost yet another pair of underwear, as he pulled the fabric from between us and dropped it. One hand dipped between my legs, tracing a finger through my wetness before circling my clit. I aligned our bodies and lowered myself onto him, slowly, until he was buried inside of me.

His lips crashed against mine, and his tongue thrust into my mouth, as I moved my hips. He cupped my breasts through my dress and pinched my nipples, letting me set the pace below. We moved in rhythm, our bodies familiar halves of a whole. My breathing hitched as I felt a tingling low in my stomach; I moved faster and arched my back, but it was Eric's voice in my ear that sent me over the edge.

"Fuck yes! Come for me."

I rode him as waves of an orgasm rolled through me, spreading that tingling feeling like wildfire. When I was ready to collapse on him, Eric spoke again.

"Don't stop. Fuck Sook, please don't stop." His hands gripped my hips like a steering wheel, driving my body up and down on him. He clenched his teeth; I could feel his entire body tense, and he pulled me down hard against him, as he came with a groan.

He gathered me against his chest and we sat, connected, resting our heads against each other, while our breathing slowed.

"I ruined your underwear."

"Again."

"I'll get you more."

"It's fine." I laughed. "But I'm going to need to hit the bathroom before we go back out there."

"Use the one back here, or you can go upstairs and change."

"How much longer are we hanging out?"

"I don't know." He shrugged.

"Well, then I'll go to the bathroom; you can think about what I'm not wearing all night."

"Shit. Like I needed any help thinking about you naked."

We rejoined everyone in the main part of the bar for drinks and dancing, but Eric spent most of the time giving me dark and sexy looks and running his hands up my skirt when he could. I eventually gave up, made excuses to his friends, and dragged him upstairs. He had my dress off before he had the door to the apartment unlocked.

**EPOV**

I woke Sookie early, bribing her with coffee to get out of bed. We drove to the beach to watch the sun come up. Sipping coffee, we sat quietly. Rubbing her back, I made big circles with my hand, as I explained again that I wouldn't be able to contact her for a week, maybe two and that I couldn't tell her if it would be by phone or email. There was a chance I could get an email out sooner, but I couldn't say for sure. I reminded her where the card was that had a toll free number to call so she could make sure that I had arrived safely. She managed not to cry, nodding her head a lot and biting her lip.

"So, is it time Batman?"

"It is, Catwoman." I sighed. "Synchronize bat-watches. Twenty-four hours and I have to be checked back in on base."

We had agreed. At the twenty-four hour mark we were turning off our phones and ignoring everyone. We had also agreed that we didn't want today to be sad. Being back on duty didn't necessarily mean I was leaving, but with all of the rumors flying around, I probably only had 24 hours after checking in before the bus pulled out.

"Ready?"

"Ready. Let's go."

We walked up the beach to a small cafe and had breakfast. She ordered waffles and fruit, while I got bacon and eggs with all the trimmings. She sat across from me, smiling and laughing, telling me about her plan to take time off between jobs. Her brother was going to help her drive her things from Atlanta to Bon Temps, and she wanted to have a few repairs done on Gran's house. She also planned on coming back here to spend a week or two with Thalia and Soph. She had even conned Thalia into letting her help out at the bar while she was in town. The last I heard, they were going to work behind the bar together, which I would have paid money to see. I made them promise to do it again when I got home.

Breakfast took a while, and then we went for another walk along the beach before heading to play miniature golf. Sookie thought regular golf was like watching grass grow, but she was competitive as hell when it came to mini-golf. We had kept a running tally of wins and losses when we lived in New Orleans, the loser always paid for the next game. We went to a place with a pirate theme, laughing and making pirate jokes through all eighteen holes.

We ate lunch at McDonald's, because it was another one of those things that I might not get for a year. They had some fast food places set up in the cafeterias overseas, but it was never as good as the stuff you got at home. I had a Big Mac and savored it as much as I did watching Sookie eat her french fries. She dipped them in ketchup and then brought them up to her dainty lips. It was fucking hot, and I knew somewhere in my brain that it was mostly because I was about to leave her. Trust me, I'd watched her eat fries a million times before and it was sexy, but this was like porn, and it was doing crazy shit to my dick.

We changed plans after lunch, because I couldn't be responsible for my behaviour in a darkened movie theater, and went to the park. We took the beach blanket from the car and stretched out in the sun, watching families and couples enjoy the park. Sookie had a book in her purse, so she read while I massaged her feet and took a nap.

When I first thought about today, I envisioned us in bed, fucking like rabbits until we dropped, then catching our second wind and doing it again. As the week wore on though, I knew that it wasn't what we needed. We both needed to spend time together, doing things that we could remember while we were apart. Shit, I could easily jack off thinking of her, I'd done it for years, but this, picturing her laying on a blanket in the park, I wouldn't have come up with this image on my own.

Sookie closed her book and crawled over to cuddle against me. We were stretched out on the blanket. She had her head on my chest, and her hand innocently in my jeans pocket. She closed her eyes and sighed.

"We can go home if you want to take a nap, Bird."

"No. I want to stay out a little longer. We won't leave the apartment once we get back there."

That was true. I rubbed her back.

"Talk to me."

"About what?" I laughed.

"I just want to hear your voice."

I sighed. "Do you remember the time we went to Florida? We drove over there with Hoyt and that girl he was dating for Spring Break? That's one of my favorite weeks ever."

She snorted. "I remember. I still lived in the dorm and you had three roommates. We were so excited to have a hotel room to ourselves for a whole week."

"I remember driving home from that trip, wondering how I could go back to not having you beside me every night."

"Remember how sun burnt Hoyt got? He was so miserable. Ooh. And his girlfriend was on that weird diet! She had to bring a cooler with her own food for the week!"

"I wonder what happened to her? Hoyt broke up with her a month or so later."

We reminisced about old times for a while, and then I told her a couple of stories about Cal and Soph. She told me stories about Amelia and Tray. We laughed and talked, and time drifted away. Eventually, Sookie fell asleep in my arms like I knew she would. We'd been staying up til all hours, trying to spend as much time together as we could. I listened to her breath and ran my hand up and down her back, watching the sun hit my wedding band. How the hell my life had all come together in such a short time was beyond me.

When I drove back to Bon Temps, I had been prepared to beg forgiveness from Jason, and then convince him to give me Sookie's phone number or address so I could find her in Atlanta. Then Pam called on my way into town telling me that she wanted bananas. I've never been one to jump and run when my sister wanted something, but she was pregnant and Andre was out of town, so I figured I would indulge her. I went to Wal-Mart because I figured they had a better selection of produce than the market in Bon Temps. I parked the Vette way out in the parking lot, away from rolling carts and car doors, and headed in. I grabbed a few things that I knew I would want while I was at Pam and Andre's.

I made my way to the produce section, grabbing some apples and the bananas for Pam. Heading to the side of the store, I wanted to grab some carrots to snack on. Fresh vegetables were a luxury that I missed during deployment. I was oblivious to my surroundings until I leaned over for a bag of carrots. The air moved and I smelled Sookie's perfume. I tried not to get ahead of myself, anyone could have been wearing the scent. I was actually afraid to look for her. Since I was here, in our hometown, I knew that it could really be her; it wasn't like when I smelled her perfume when I was in the bar or in the desert. I shook it off, what were the odds really? Turning to throw the carrots in my cart, I accidentally barreled into someone. In an instant I realized it wasn't just anyone, it was really her. I couldn't believe it. I even said her name out loud in disbelief.

As suddenly as my hopes were raised, they were dashed when Jason came around the corner and dragged her away from me with only a few words. I stood there, dumbfounded, watching as Jason maneuvered them through the checkout and out the automatic doors. I paid for my things and put them in the car, then I sat in the parking lot trying to figure out what had happened. It was another one of those damn moments that Soph predicted in her weird way, and I couldn't get my head around it. I had been in the right place, at the right time, and knew that it was a gift; an opportunity of a lifetime that I could not fuck up.

I took the groceries to Aunt O's, and Pam knew something was up when I walked in the door. Shrugging, I told her I had to go to Sookie's house. I had expected her to bitch at me, because bitching is what my sister does best, but she hugged me. Then she kissed me on the forehead and told me to call if I wasn't coming back for dinner. The crazy in her came out when I didn't immediately head to the car, she raised her eyebrows and shooed me towards the door. It was a major sign that more people than just Soph thought I was still fucked up over Sookie.

The rest of our week together played out in my head as Sookie napped. I thought about the years that we had been apart as well. She had been the one thing that kept me going in recent years, and now we were together, and it was entirely different. It wasn't the possibility of Sookie that would bring me home, but reality, and I had no idea what I had done to deserve her.

000ooo000ooo000

**A/N: **

The clock is ticking for our little love birds. Sigh. I hope you like how they are enjoying their last days together, although most of you would be happy if they spent the whole time in bed. LOL Thanks so much for reading. As always, click the cute new review button and tell me how you feel, cuz you know I want to know what you think!

*If you didn't read the A/N above, the next chapter is his departure, so please read with kleenex and possibly cocktails in hand.

Marine Jargon:

From the last chapter -

Get Some is a Marine expression dating back to the Vietnam War. Here's a gigantic list of Marine jargon/expressions from wikipedia:

http://en(dot)wikipedia(dot)org/wiki/List_of_United_States_Marine_Corps_acronyms_and_expressions

Get Some! is also the the title of the first episode of the HBO mini-series Generation Kill in which Alexander Skarsgard played Brad Colbert. Here's the link to the extended trailer if you've never seen GK, and it is WELL worth your watching. (Not just the trailer, the whole series. LOL)

http://www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=pmtzdrz_CYM


	19. Bus Stop

**Title: Leap of Faith**  
**Chapter 19: Bus Stop**  
**Disclaimer: I don't own the Southern Vampires characters or stories. All copyright belongs to Charlaine Harris. I just take them out of the box to play.**

**A/N: **  
HUGE, Marine-Viking sized thanks and hugs to **yo-diggity-yo-yo**, a real life Marine wife, who kindly agreed to read this over before posting to tell me if it was anywhere near accurate. She said it was darn close and wants you all to know that you will need a _Shamwow!_ to get through this chapter - not just kleenex. The info about the getting in formation before departure, and Sookie's reaction to watching it, was pulled from her words in an email about her own husband's deployment. He's leaving again soon. And shit - half of you are already crying. Sorry.

Thanks to **S. Meadows** and **A Red Head Thing** for previewing this and being able to make coherent comments about it. I owe S. Meadows alone time with Burger Northman (The Bitch and the Hellcat), and I owe Red some time with Alcide (The Heat is in the Tools). I'm going to have to work something out with **Zigster** and **Missconstrued** to make it happen.

Kleenex, and possibly cocktails, at the ready? Now I'm shutting up.

000ooo000ooo000ooo000ooo000

**EPOV**  
I let her sleep in the sun for a while, and woke her with a kiss.

"Lover, let's get up and go to the store."

"How long did I sleep?" She rubbed her eyes and arched her back.

"A little over an hour."

"Oh man. I'm sorry." She sat up, still not fully awake and stretched.

"I like watching you sleep."

"Yeah, it's like watching paint dry."

I sat up, wrapping my arms around her, and running my nose along her neck as I breathed in the sweet smell of her hair. "I could watch you, watching paint dry. Everything you do is interesting to me."

"Mmmm." She shivered as my nose skimmed her neck.

I sighed, sitting back and releasing her. "We need to hit the store and then head home. Sound good?"

"Yeah. I can't wait for you to cook for me."

Laughing, I stood and helped pull her up. "You'll be waiting an awfully long time."

We went to the grocery store, and she loaded the cart with everything she needed for dinner. She had asked me what I wanted, and I'd decided on steak and baked potatoes with green beans. I watched her grab some ice cream and add it to the cart with a smile.

When we got back to the apartment, she unloaded the grocery bags and got right to work, cleaning potatoes so they could go in the oven. While she was busy in the kitchen, I looked over my gear for the thousandth time, making sure I had everything. I figured I would pack as much as I could now, so that when we got the official word, I didn't have to worry about it. Coming back into the kitchen, I saw that Sookie had the beans in a pot and the steaks on a grill pan.

I watched her, moving with grace, as she wiped off the counter and got together plates and silverware. She smiled, stepping over to me and giving me a long, slow kiss.

"Mmmm. That's nice." I wrapped my arms around her, feeling the curves of her breasts mold to my chest and her soft hands running down my back to rest on my ass. I took over the kiss, moving my lips along her neck, down one side and up the other, moving back to her mouth. There was a beeping noise, a timer going off somewhere, and it cleared my head enough for me to realize that I backed her up against the refrigerator, pressing myself into her.

"Potatoes." She managed to say through her heavy breathing. "And I have to turn the steaks."

I took a step back, and she moved over to the stove. There was a splatter screen over the meat; it made me smile. I would have never used the thing on my own; I wasn't even sure where it had come from.

"We're almost ready. Can you set the table?"

"Sure thing." Grabbing the dishes and utensils, I set them out at our places and grabbed napkins from the holder for each of us. I picked up the salt and pepper off the counter and set it between our places, then headed to the fridge to find butter and sour cream for the vegetables and A1 sauce for the steaks. Sookie always said that if it's a good steak you shouldn't need steak sauce, but I had grown up using the stuff, and it was a habit I couldn't break. Moving some things around in the fridge, I realized it wasn't in there.

"Did you get A1 today?"

She raised an eyebrow at me. I fully realized now why that look pissed her off so much when I did it.

"I'm going to run down to the bar and grab some." She rolled her eyes as I laughed and headed for the door. "If it wasn't just downstairs I'd make do without it."

I cut through the bar area heading to the stock room to grab an unopened bottle. Moving back through the bar, I nodded at Bob, one of our long time bartenders, and the television screen over his head caught my eye. Bob had the TV on CNN, as usual, and it showed a live press conference from the White House. The closed captioning running along the bottom of the screen translated the Press Secretary's words. _"Due to the dramatic rise in attacks on American Soldiers and the staggering death toll, the President has decided to increase the American presence..." _I didn't need to read anymore. It confirmed the rumors we had been hearing on base, and it meant that I was definitely shipping out sooner than later.

Walking back into the apartment, I tried not to let on to Sookie that anything had changed. Honestly, it hadn't, but I felt more of a sense of dread than I had before running downstairs.

It wasn't fear of going, or anxiety over what I would be doing, but I was going to leave a piece of myself with her when I left, and the clock was ticking down on our time together. She was dishing out our food, and looked up to smile at me as I came through the door.

"What?"

"Nothing. What are you talking about?"

"Don't even try it. I saw your face. You're hiding something."

I took our plates over to the table. "Come sit down and I'll tell you."

I should have known that I couldn't hide anything from her. She had changed in that sense. I had blindsided her once before, and she would never let that happen again. She took her seat at the table, put her napkin in her lap, and waited.

"It's not that bad, you can eat." She gave me an 'areyoukiddingme' look and I sighed. "There was a press conference on the news downstairs. The President is sending more troops to the Middle East. It means the rumors are probably true, and we're going to leave right away. And it probably means that I'll spend a lot of time in the middle of nowhere, not at a major base. They know that Recon Marines don't need a lot of creature comforts, so they tend to let us spend a lot of time in the field. Plus, if you hadn't noticed, a lot of the guys don't play nice with other kids, so they like to keep us off on our own."

She listened quietly, without showing much reaction. "And exactly why is he sending more troops?"

Damn. She nailed it. And she'd kick my ass if I lied. "Because there have been more attacks on American soldiers."

She nodded. "That doesn't scare you?"

I put a hand over hers. "No, Bird, it doesn't. The numbers that make it back here are not reality. By the time the press and the President get wind of the news from over there, everything has changed."

She pulled her hand away and began cutting her steak. "You had better eat your dinner while it's hot."

I had no idea if that meant she accepted what I said and was okay with it, or if she was simply done with the conversation. "Sookie?"

She looked at me, exhaled, and smiled. "I cooked you the perfect steak. Don't ask me to reheat it in the microwave and ruin it." I opened my mouth, about to tell her how much I loved her, and she stopped me. "Don't. I'm working really hard at keeping myself together. So, just. Don't."

I nodded and looked away from her eyes; I knew they were filling with tears. "This is a really great steak," I told her, even though it suddenly tasted like cardboard.

We finished dinner, making meaningless small talk, and I felt like a total dick. We'd been having such a great day, and I had to go and fuck it up. I knew that she was going to lose it at some point, but I had been trying to put it off as long as I could. We cleaned off the table and did the dishes together, I could feel her calming down, but knew that whatever it was, sorrow or fear, was just below the surface.

While Sookie went to the bathroom, I went to sit on the couch in the living room. I closed my eyes and leaned my head back, thinking. Cal was usually a wreck the first couple days after we deployed, and I'd never understood it. I always thought that the hard times would come later, when you really missed the woman you left at home. I should have known better, thinking back to how destroyed I had been when I went to Basic Training. This was seriously twisting my guts in knots, and I didn't want to let her see it.

Apparently, I dozed off. I woke up to Sookie settling in my lap and putting her arms around me. It was still early evening, and we were supposed to watch a movie, that was our original plan. Then she started running her hands over my chest and nuzzling her nose against my neck, and I had no desire to watch anything on the television. I ran my hands up her back, sliding one into her hair and one around to cup her breast. She moaned, and I nibbled my way along her jaw until our mouths were connected. Sliding my tongue between her lips, I felt the hem of my shirt being lifted, just before her hands began gliding up my chest. I pulled away long enough to get my shirt off and she did the same.

Bending my head, I traced the lace along the swell of her breasts with my lips and tongue, while my fingers worked the hooks on her back. The straps slid down her arms, and I pushed them down and off, never taking my mouth off her skin. I turned our bodies, laying us down on the couch, and propped myself up over her, feasting on her breasts, nibbling the skin on her stomach until I reached the hem of her shorts. Kissing her belly button, I teased her with my tongue, opening her pants and sliding them off her hips, along with a scrap of black lace that passed as underwear.

Stretching out on the couch, I settled between her legs, keeping my eyes on hers as I tasted her. I took my time, running my tongue through her wet folds, circling her clit with my finger. She rocked her hips against my hand, panting and crying out when I slid two fingers into her. I pumped my fingers in and out, stroking her with my tongue, groaning at the heavenly taste that was Sookie. She moved her hips faster and faster, calling my name. I could feel her muscles tightening around my hand and when I sucked her clit between my teeth, she came in a rush, arching her back off the couch. I lapped up her juices, feeling like I'd never be sated.

I stood, kicking off my pants and slid along her flushed body, teasing her with kisses along her stomach and chest. My erection pressed into her belly and I kissed her, nibbling her earlobe, swirling my tongue in her ear, before finally taking her lower lip between my teeth, assaulting her mouth with my tongue. She ran her hands down my back, pausing to grab my ass before sliding a hand between us, stroking me. Her touch was amazing, her soft hands on my hard cock. I pulled my hips back and she aligned me with her entrance, creating that overwhelming desire to bury myself in her that I always felt when we were together. It never changed, the feeling that I _had_ to be inside of her, sliding in and out, stroking over her most sensitive spot and driving us both wild.

Pushing in, I could feel her body stretching until I filled her. We both sighed, and I held still for a few seconds, taking it all in. The feeling of her body tight around me, her hands on my ass, the smell of her sex and perfume mingling with my own scent, and the sound of her breath and my pulse in my ear, pounding a tattoo that ordered me to move.

Drawing back, I pulled out until she held only my tip, and stroked in slowly, taking my time at loving her. She pulled at my hips and thrust against me. My control snapped when she started begging me to move. Her voice in my ear sent me spiraling out of control and I pushed into her, hitching her legs higher and grunting like an animal as I thrust. After a few minutes Sookie was scratching my back and crying out, "Ohgod, ohgod, Eric, ohgod." I gripped her hips, changing my angle and drove forward, feeling her spasm around me, as she bit down on my shoulder. I had been close, and the bite brought me to the edge. I kept moving, losing myself in her, and came, baring clenched teeth and groaning.

"Jesus. You're fucking amazing." I muttered after a few minutes. Pulling her into my arms, I rolled us over so she was on top of me.

She giggled and put her hand up to play with my hair. "You're fucking amazing."

I laughed, rubbing my hand up and down her back. "We're both amazing. You okay?"

"I'm fine, great really." She climbed off of me and reached for my hand. "Bed." I wasn't about to argue with her about that.

We made love in the bedroom until we could barely move. She had finally broken down crying, threatening to kill me if anything happened to me. I promised her that I would be careful, which sadly, was the best I could do, and made love to her sweetly, chanting "I love you," with every stroke of my hips. When I woke up, we were a tangled mess, she was still stradling my waist with her head buried in my neck. I reached over and turned off the alarm, she stirred, muttering that I should go back to sleep. I sat up, carrying her with me and she sighed, rubbing her eyes. She looked at me sleepily, and I smiled, moving her hair off her face. "Shower."

"Mmm hmm." She was still half asleep.

I carried her to the bathroom and turned on the shower, kissing her awake while the water warmed up. We got good and dirty in the shower, and then cleaned up. She sat on the end of the bed, watching me put on my cammies. I tied my boots, and glanced up to see her wiping her face.

"Sook."

"I know. Put your boots on. I'm fine."

Walking over, I crouched down and hugged her. "I'm just going to work. I'll be back tonight. Then I'll know more."

"I know. I'll be okay."

I kissed her forehead and left without another word, afraid that if I stopped to look back I'd never leave.

**SPOV**  
I climbed back in bed after Eric left and cried, huge sobs, that racked my body. I fell asleep exhausted and didn't wake up until lunch time. I did mundane things, laundry, checking email, paying bills online, things that didn't require much thought, but needed to be done. I had a sinking suspicion that I was not going to get very much done in the next few days. Finding some photopaper in Eric's desk, I printed a few wedding photos.

In the late afternoon, my cell phone rang. My heart fluttered thinking Eric was calling to say he was not in fact coming home, but it was Amelia. She let me talk, and cry, and told me about her latest escapades with Tray. She promised she would be around in the next few days if I needed her, telling me she was just a phone call away. I sighed. I was going to be very alone. I thanked God that I would have Thalia and Soph nearby.

Dinner was in the oven when I heard Eric coming up the stairs. He gave me a shy smile and came over to envelope me into a hug.

"Hi. Did you have a good day?" He looked tired.

"I did. I went back to bed, it was nice. What about you?" I hadn't moved out of the circle of his arms.

"Yeah, same old, same old. We ran, worked out, cleaned and prepped a lot of gear, then started packing stuff up for transport."

"When do you leave?"

He kissed me then, slowly and deeply. It was sad and sweet, swelling my heart with joy, and breaking it all at once; because I knew that this kiss meant it was our last night together. He pulled back, looking into my eyes, he still didn't speak.

"When?" It was barely a whisper, but I was not letting him out of saying it.

"Tomorrow. Late afternoon."

Nodding, I bit my lip. "Okay." I took a deep breath, then exhaled. "What do you need to do tonight to get ready? Do we need to pack? I mean, I know you already started, but. What can I do to help?"

He shook his head, his shoulders sagged for just an instant, but I saw it, then he exhaled. "You don't need to do anything, Bird. I'm mostly packed, I need to grab a few more things tonight, and I'll be all set. How long until dinner?"

"Always thinking with your stomach." It was so like him, to think about food when all I could think about was his departure. Or maybe that's why he said it, either way, it made me laugh.

"It's the way to my heart." He gave me a quick kiss and went to the fridge for a bottle of water.

"We've got about twenty minutes until it's ready."

"Alright, I'm going to finish packing, unless you need me in the kitchen."

Shaking my head, I slapped his ass and sent him on his way. When dinner was ready he joined me. We ate quietly and cleaned up the kitchen. Without a word, we went to the bedroom, got undressed and climbed into bed. I curled up against him, running my hands along his skin, just to feel him. He spoke quietly, knowing that the important things needed to be said, sooner than later.

"I have to get up and go in first thing in the morning. Soph will give you a call to come pick you up and bring you over for the big send off."

We talked about the car, and my driving it home, the fact that Thalia would keep paying the bills for the apartment like she had been doing in the past, and he reminded me again that it might be weeks before he could call. I tried not to cry, but it was a futile effort. My tears soaked his chest while he stroked my hair and held me tight. He wiped the tears from my face and peppered my cheeks with soft kisses, until his lips slanted over mine, in a kiss that was only a promise of what our bodies wanted to do. Finally, when I thought that I couldn't go another minute without him inside of me, he rolled us over, his heavy body the perfect weight on mine, and slid into me as we both moaned.

I don't know how many times we made love. It was sort of an endless loop of orgasms. I joined Eric in the shower again in the morning, only this time when I climaxed my sobs were both of pleasure and despair. The spray of the water would have masked the tears that I felt falling on my shoulder, but Eric's eyes gave them away. When I saw his face, how utterly devastated he looked, something in me clicked, I knew that I had to pull it together, for him. I reached up and kissed his tears away and led him from the shower. He needed to know that I would be alright, that I could handle this. My tears were finished until he was gone.

He dressed and gathered his things, kissing me long and hard before catching a ride with Cal to the base. The day passed in a haze for me. I cleaned up around the apartment, scrubbing the bathroom and scouring the kitchen. I avoided the bedroom after getting up, I couldn't go in there yet. I had no intention of changing the sheets, no matter how disgusting they were, until I left for Bon Temps, so I could keep Eric's scent on them as long as possible.

Soph called to tell me that she would pick me up around 2 o'clock. I kept working around the apartment until I needed to shower, then simply dried my hair, not bothering with make up, and waited for her to arrive. She called from the parking lot, and I ran down to meet her. She looked much better than I did, but she'd done this before. She held my hand over the console as we drove and gave me a quiet pep talk.

"Sookie, you can do this. You need to hold it together just until they leave, and then you can fall apart. I'll be right here for you. Shit, all you have to do is make it back to the car and you can stay there for days, alright?"

I chuckled. "I know Soph. I'll be okay. I realized this morning that it's just as hard on him. I can keep it in until they go and then, I don't know."

"You'll be fine. We're in this together. Okay?"

I nodded. "What are you doing tonight? I mean, you've done this before. Do you just go about your business?"

She shrugged. "Yeah, usually I go home and try to get back into my routine. Tonight though, if you're up for it, I was thinking we should have some drinks. I know this great bar that's walking distance from your apartment." She gave me a wink.

"I think that sounds good. Thank you, for everything."

We pulled into a parking lot full of cars and families milling around. There were several greyhound buses parked in front of the building. Soph walked with direction towards the back of the second bus.

"It's always chaos like this. We meet behind the bus. Eric will be with Cal, they'll find us."

There were Marines hugging family and friends all around us. Children were crying, and Marines were holding babies, and I knew that if those families could get through this, I could too. We made it through the crowd to the corner of the bus, and I saw Eric and Cal standing with a group of guys off to the side.

Eric's face lit up when he saw us, and he tugged at Cal's sleeve before walking over. He gave Soph a hug and a kiss. They spoke quietly for a moment, before he kissed her on the forehead and turned to me. He wrapped me in his arms and kissed the top of my head. I inhaled deeply, taking in his scent, calming myself with each breath. He stepped back, keeping his hands on my waist and tried to smile.

"You okay?"

I nodded. "You?"

He said yes, but shook his head no, and I thought I was going to lose it. Then he laughed, and leaned down to kiss me. I focused on the present; his hands on my waist, my arms around his strong back, and his tongue sliding against mine, as I pushed away the feeling of desolation that was sneaking in. When his lips left mine, I sighed, and held him tight.

He whispered in my ear, "I love you." All I could do was nod. He kissed my forehead and stepped back, keeping his long arms around my waist.

We chatted with Soph and Cal, until we noticed Marines beginning to move into a group on the grass. I started to feel nauseous, my chest tightened, and my fingers dug into Eric's side. He pulled me back into his embrace and we were kissing again, more desperately, but at the same time sweetly. Then we stood, forehead to forehead, his hands cupping my face.

"Everything is going to be fine. I'll be home in no time."

I nodded, and no matter how hard I'd been trying to stave off tears, I felt a couple roll down my cheeks.

"Please be careful."

"I will. I always am. I love you, Bird. You are my whole world."

"I love you too. I'll be okay. Call, or email me, as soon as you can."

"As soon as I can. Take care of yourself." He sighed. "I love you, so fucking much."

"I know." I smiled; I would never get tired of hearing it. I felt another hand on my lower back, and knew it Soph, telling me it was time for Eric to go. I kissed him hard and quick on the lips. I had to say it one more time. "I love you." I stepped back, and Soph put an arm around me.

Eric's eyes were glassy, and if he cried, I was done for. He nodded at Cal, and then glanced over at us. "I love you ladies, take care of each other."

Cal slapped him on the arm. "Stop hitting on my wife."

Soph and I smiled at them, and they joined the rest of the Battalion as they were slowly organizing into a formation. We walked to another spot in the parking area, away from the back of the bus and the exhaust fumes, where we could still see our men. Eric's eyes met mine for an instant, and I knew that he knew where I was, but his expression never changed as he moved into place. The Commanding Officers, or C.O.'s, started barking orders, and the group tightened up, exact rows forming, backs straightening, as the Marines came to attention. More orders were yelled out, but the words were clipped and I wasn't focused on them anyway. I was numbly staring at Eric, wishing I had a lasso or something to pull him back to me. I couldn't describe how I was feeling. It was a unreal. Standing there, totally numb and motionless, while feeling desperately frantic and knowing I couldn't do anything at all to change what was happening.

Eventually, an order was given and the Marines began filing over to the buses. They each checked in with someone holding a clipboard and waited in line. When Eric and Cal got near the front of the line, my chest began to tighten, and my eyes filled with tears. Cal nodded, as he smiled at Soph, and disappeared onto the bus. Then Eric did the same, nodding towards me with a small smile, as he followed Cal up the stairs. I held my hand out in a wave, but I couldn't manage a smile.

"Breathe," I heard Soph say quietly. "Just a little bit longer. You can't see in the windows, but they can see out. We'll wait until they pull away, and then we'll go."

"How many times have you done this? This is awful."

"It gets easier, but, yeah. This is pretty shitty." She kept her arm around my waist and we stood, silently waiting for the buses to leave. The air valves hissed and the doors closed, gears engaged, and the buses began rolling away from us.

I fully expected myself to crumble into a heap, but I didn't. I stood, rooted in that spot, feeling hallow, until we couldn't see the buses anymore. Soph started to direct me towards the car, and I moved on autopilot. I think I would have been okay, or at least I might have made it to the car before I dissolved into a sobbing mess, but as we walked through the parking lot, I saw something that absolutely destroyed me. Standing a few feet in front of us, crying silently, was Amelia. The only explanation for her presence was Eric, and it was my complete undoing.

**A/N: **  
Please don't kill me. Eric will be fine. Sookie will be fine. I love you all. Review, if you can.  
Kthxbai.

Thanks again, Shanny. ~shakes head~ I can't believe you have to do it again. HUGS


	20. One Big Sandbox Party

**Title: Leap of Faith  
Chapter 20: One Big Sandbox Party**  
**Disclaimer: I don't own the Southern Vampire characters or stories. All copyright belongs to Charlaine Harris. I just take them out of the box to play.**

**A/N:**  
Thanks to **JulieKohler**, another Marine wife who pointed out a couple of Mariney things I was off on. :) It's the little things you can't find on google. Thanks Julie!

Apparently, this is another sad chapter. It just happened that way, please don't come after me with a pitchfork. There are only a couple chapters left, and I promise it will get happier.

Thanks to **S. Meadows** and **A Redhead Thing** for betaing and putting up with my insecurities. They are the yin to my yang, the ebony to my ivory, the ham to my burger, and the Kool to my Aid. I couldn't do this without them. I also want to say thanks to **Seastarr08** who has been chatting with me about my stories when my other girls aren't available. Thanks muchly for helping me brainstorm!

000ooo000ooo000ooo000

**SPOV**

Two weeks went by without a word. No phone calls, no emails, no text messages, nothing. Even though I had no idea when he would read them, I emailed him each day, telling him about what I'd been doing, how the weather was, and silly things I heard on the news or read on the internet. I kept my phone on at all times and never turned the ringer off. I kept it by my bed and I left it on my desk at work. On Saturday, when I was out to lunch, I almost hyperventilated because my battery was dying, and I didn't have my charger. I actually made Amelia take me back to my apartment, instead of going to a movie like we planned.

The night Eric and Cal left, I got insanely drunk with Amelia, Soph and Thalia. We drunk-emailed the guys pictures of us doing shots of tequila, to view whenever they got the chance. When I was able to drag my very hungover self out of bed, I spent the next few days on the beach with Amelia. I couldn't think or function, but Amelia said, "You can lay your empty shell on the beach just as easily as you can stay in bed with those sweaty fuck-sheets." I wasn't going to wash them until they lost his scent.

Amelia rode with me in the Vette back to Atlanta. I finished that first week doing the silly things that I needed to take care of with my new married name; changing my driver's license, credit cards, and the like. Thankfully, Amelia ran into Alcide and told him the news of my marriage. He didn't consider it good news, but I didn't have to break it to him, so I didn't care.

Most of my other friends were from work, and Chow had been keeping them informed about all of the changes in my life. I called him; to say that I'd be in at the beginning of the week to start tying up loose ends. He figured it would take a few weeks to transition my cases, but basically told me to stay as long as I wanted. The first morning I was back at my desk, the office manager, Doris, called me aside and told me they were planning to surprise me with cake and gifts during our coffee break. She smiled sweetly and explained that her daughter's husband was in the Navy, and she knew how hard it could be when they were deployed, so she wanted me to be prepared. It was sweet, but it reminded me of how damaged everyone had apparently thought I was before. After hearing about the last two weeks, they must have been shocked that I was able to get out of bed in the morning. I had to admit, some mornings I was shocked by my own resolve.

My days were busy; coffee, work, yoga, dinner, reading until I fell asleep in bed, repeat. The only thing that tended to vary was where I had my dinner. As the days dragged on, I started to get anxious. Before I left North Carolina, Soph and I had put the phone on speaker and called the toll free number to make sure Eric and Cal had arrived safely, but that was all we knew. We agreed that as soon as we heard from either of them, we'd call each other. I hadn't heard from her yet. It was almost as bad as not hearing from Eric, because it left me wondering about both men.

On the morning of the eighteenth day, the phone woke me from a dead sleep. I sat straight up in bed, eyes wide, fumbling for my phone, glancing at the clock that read 5:12 a.m. My breathing was fast, from being jolted awake, and as I took in the clock, I wondered if the time of the call meant anything, or if it was just his first opportunity to call, because it had to be him.

"Ohmygod, hello?" There was a scratchy quality to the sound coming through the phone. P_lease tell me we didn't get disconnected._ "Eric?"

"Hey Bird! I'm sorry to call so early."

"It's okay. Are you okay? How are you? Where are you?"

He laughed, and the sound brought tears to my eyes. "I'm fine, Sookie. It's noon here and it's the first time I've been anywhere near a phone to call you. I'll give you the address you can send stuff to, it's at Camp Fallujah, but I don't know how much we'll be back here. I'm hot and tired and I miss your cooking. I'm doing good though. How are you? Are you back in Atlanta?"

_Camp Fallujah_. _Camp Fallujah_. I repeated it to myself a couple of times so I could check the map when we got off the phone. "I'm okay, and yeah, I'm in Atlanta. Amelia drove back with me. I've been working, trying to transition my cases." I sighed. "I miss you."

I could almost see him close his eyes. "I know. I miss you too." He exhaled, and changed the subject. "When do you think you're moving?"

I knew he didn't want to dwell on the sadness. I wasn't sure if it was for my sake, or his, but I appreciated it. "I'll be here at least another month, finishing up at work and packing up. My lease is up in three months, but I don't think I'll be here that long. Why? You wanna come move some boxes for me?"

He chuckled. "I'd love to. You don't have anything too heavy do you? I wouldn't want to throw my back out."

"I have boxes and boxes of books and shoes."

"Oh God, I'm glad I won't be there. Jason can carry all of that crap."

"Hey, you bought me half of those books!" I teased back. "Hoyt said he'll come too. With Jason, Hoyt, and Tray, I'll have a whole moving crew."

"That's good. You know I wish I could help, right?"

"I know Eric. It's fine. They'll take care of me."

He snorted. "They better. Have you talked to Pam?"

"Yesterday, actually. She's doing well. She's not on bed rest, but she's not supposed to be working. They're just worried because of the contractions she had while you were home."

"Has she told Andre what she's having yet?"

I laughed. "No, she's still keeping it a secret. She says if he would have come to the appointment she would tell him, but he went out of town for work, so she's not telling."

"My sister is such an evil bitch."

"I'll be sure to tell her."

"Ha! I'm more than an ocean away, go ahead! She can't hurt me from there!"

I told him to check his email, and that I'd send him a package and real mail now that I had his address. We joked that he should stick to the phone, email, and web-chats when we could, since he was handwriting challenged.

He grew serious, asking me if I was _'really_' alright. I told him I was managing. I'd been alone and lonely for a long time; at least now, I had something to look forward to.

It got quiet, and he sighed across the phone line, breaking my heart. "Sook, I miss you so much it hurts."

"I know." My voice broke. I couldn't tell him that I'd woken up in the night, crying and feeling like I couldn't breathe, after dreaming about him. "We can do this. Thousands of couples are doing the same thing."

"Bird, can we make a date?"

"Sure, let me get out my planner."

"Smart ass. Ten o'clock tonight, go outside and look at the stars. I'll do it here at the same time."

My eyes were full of tears, and I thanked God he couldn't see me. "Okay." I was nodding. "It's a date. I'll have some wine. I'm sure you have some Kool-Aid powder or something."

He laughed. "Something. I've got to go, Sookie. There's a line of guys behind me. I'll get to a computer before we get out of here and check my email."

"Okay." My mind tumbled around. I didn't want him to go, but I couldn't think of anything else to say besides, 'I love you. I miss you. Please don't hang up,' and I didn't want to be that girl.

"I love you. I'll call again as soon as I can. It might be a couple of weeks again."

"I'll be here. I love you, too. Be safe."

"I will. Give it a while before you call Soph. Cal's going to call her, he's a couple people back in line. He was slow getting over here."

I don't know how he knew I would call her, he read my mind sometimes, I swear. "Alright. I love you."

He chuckled. "I love you too. I'm hanging up."

I made a kissing noise into the phone, like a dork, and had no idea if he heard it or not.

**EPOV**

Just as I figured, we stayed forty-eight hours at Camp Fallujah and were back in the field. Everyone restocked what they needed, including contact with home, took a long shower, and slept.

The sand was endless. It was dusty and annoying, making me cough and my eyes hurt. It was fucking hot, and we were running a loop of missions that were routine and mundane. Check for IEDs, follow the trail of presumed rebels, look for more IEDs, lead a convoy across barren desert, and look for more fucking IED's.

We made it to civilization every few weeks. I called Sookie as soon as I could and even talked to her via web cam once. There were pretty strict rules about when and where you could do web chats like Skype, so you didn't give away troop movements or other tactical information, but it could be done. We had an awkward start to our chat. Neither of us had ever had a video chat before, so we fumbled a bit, nervous from the feeling of being on camera. Sookie faked like she was picking her nose and we laughed, then it was easy. It was amazing to see her. The phone calls had been nice, but I needed this, to see her eyes sparkle, and her smile when she laughed.

Sookie had moved back to Bon Temps and was enjoying her time off. She had high-speed internet and cable installed at Gran's place, and bought a new hot water heater, at my insistence. The old one was a fire hazard, not to mention it seriously limited our time in the shower together. Miss Jane Bodehouse was anxious to retire, but the county budget looked tight, and although they wanted Sookie to start soon, they told her that she couldn't start until the new fiscal year. Faced with several months of unemployment, she had taken to substitute teaching at the high school, and loved it. She especially liked the fact that it didn't tie her to having to stay in Bon Temps. If she wanted to go visit Amelia, or Soph and Thalia, she was free to go, and knew they would still need her when she got home.

I was looking forward to the next call, well, I looked forward to all of them, but by the next time we talked, Pam should have had the baby. She was due shortly after the last time I talked to Sookie, so I figured she had either gone into labor, or she'd gone psycho and scared someone enough that they had induced her already. I was kind of excited to be Uncle Eric, and I told Sookie to spoil the baby rotten until I got home.

We were going on one last mission before heading to back to Fallujah, and of course we were running out of everything. Batteries were dying, we were down to crap MRE's, and we were all fucking sick of each other. We were a tough bunch, but we all stank of sweat and funk, we had sand in places that no one wanted to think about, and we just needed a taste of civilization. Hell, I think most of us would have been happy with a hose of unlimited, cold, clean water; anything more than that would be icing on the cake. But no one complained; we loaded our gear and readied the humvees, silently wanting to get it over with.

It was nearly dawn when the chain of vehicles pulled out, but it was already hot, and it was only going to get worse. We were driving to meet another group of Marines carrying supplies that needed to get through some hostile territory. On top of my exhaustion, I was excited, it wasn't exactly what we'd been trained to do, but it had more potential than anything else we'd done. We sang to pass the time and philosophized about ridiculous things; if you could meet one famous person who would it be and what would you say to them? I shook my head. Some days felt like reliving junior high, except this time I was experiencing it in a dusty piece of shit vehicle in 110 degree heat.

The day dragged on, uneventfully. We drove, my feet, ass and back were soaked with sweat, Cal was bitching over the comms unit, and I was trying to ignore it all, keeping my eye on the horizon. We came into a town that looked deserted. I imagined that it had been a sort of oasis at one point, a halfway point between No Where and Nothing on the map. However, looking deserted didn't mean it really was, so we were all on alert, scanning the windows of buildings and looking down alleys.

A few blocks onto the main street, commands were yelled on the radio about the same time that we saw flashes of gunfire ahead of us. We kept driving forward as the flashes grew closer. There was a loud boom and then an explosion several cars up. We fired back, as the gunfire reached our vehicle, shooting out glass, taking out hostiles, and maneuvering around a burning humvee. It happened very quickly, and we were suddenly back on the open road, communicating up and down the line on the radio to get status updates. In the end, we lost two humvees, but no men, and everyone was oddly glad to have seen a little excitement. When we stopped to set up camp, the story was excitedly retold from every angle, because every Marine saw something slightly different. The details changed like the size of a prize winning fish, with each storyteller becoming the hero. Some things would never change.

When we finally made it in to camp, I was exhausted and felt like I'd been rolling in the sand for weeks. Oh wait, I had been. I showered and changed, and I'm pretty sure I fell asleep sitting on the end of my bunk, before going to wait in line for the phone, where I think I fell asleep again.

The phone rang several times before I was surprised by a man's voice on the other end.

"Heh," he coughed and cleared his throat. "Hello?"

"Hello?"

"Eric?"

"Yes." I resisted saying, 'Who the fuck is this?'

"Shit, let me go wake up Sookie."

_Seriously, what the fuck?_ I heard footsteps that seemed to be running up stairs, a door creaked open, and I recognized the sounds. I realized it was my bedroom door; the stairs were at Aunt O's house, and I knew who was on the phone. "Andre?"

"Hang on, Eric. Sook, wake up."

I heard mumbling, and then very clearly heard her start to panic. "Oh my God, I didn't hear it ring. Shit. Andre find the charger. Oh, hell, the battery. Andre!" She sounded close to tears, and I wondered if she had been lying to me all along about being alright.

"Shhhhh. It's okay. I charged it when we got home. Talk to Eric."

"Eric?" She was breathing fast.

I didn't want her to know that I'd overheard how frantic she had been. "Hey, little Bird. How come you're sleeping? Am I an uncle?" It should be close to lunch time there.

"Hi! Yeah, it's a girl! She's so cute! They named her Beatrice Octavia. We were at the hospital with Pam all night."

"Were you sleeping in my bed?"

"Yeah. Naked."

"Sookie."

"I'm kidding." I heard the sheets moving, she must have been stretching. "Pam's doing well. I was here with her when her water broke, so I drove her to the hospital. Andre brought me back for my car, and I was so tired I crashed here. He's probably going back to the hospital soon."

"Did you send me pictures?"

"Not yet. She just had the baby five hours ago. I'll do it in a while when I get up. How are you? I bet you're tan."

Leave it to Sookie to think about my suntan. "Yeah. I'm getting pretty dark. That's what I do all day you know, work on my tan." She laughed. "I'm good. We've been out in the field like usual, just in for supplies again. How are you? You hanging in there?"

"You heard me didn't you?"

"Yeah." I sighed. "Sookie." She cut me off.

"I'm fine, Eric. I was half asleep, and I'm exhausted. It's been a pretty emotional twenty-four hours."

"I just worry about you."

"That makes two of us. I worry about you."

"I'm fine." I huffed. Shit. I didn't want to fight with her. Not about this, not while we had so little time.

"Hey, I love you and I miss you, other than that I'm fine. Okay?"

"I love you too. And I miss you. Shit, I miss you like crazy. I got a great package from you last week. It was a giant box of candy and drink mix."

"Oh good! That one was fun to fill up! Did you share?"

"Of course. You don't think I ate all of that candy by myself do you?"

"No, I figured you had snorted all the Tang mix though."

I laughed. "What the hell does that mean?"

"I don't know. I'm just kidding. How are Cal and the guys?"

"Everyone is good." I was _so_ not telling her about the day before.

"So it's all just one big sandbox party over there?"

"Oh yeah, it's a great big party." She sighed. "We've had a few missions, but nothing too crazy."

"Only a little crazy?"

My turn to sigh. "Yeah, a little crazy. Please don't worry."

I could barely hear her say, "I'm trying."

"Sook, don't cry."

"I'm not. I'm just really tired and emotional today."

"Alright. I'm going to email you some pictures when I get to the computer. I think Cal is asleep, so go ahead and call Soph if you want, to let her know he'll be calling."

"You have to go so soon?"

"There's a line. There's always a line. I love you, Bird. Tell Pam and Beatrice I love them. Andre, too."

"I will. Be safe. I love you."

Closing my eyes, I ended the call, hoping that what I heard a snippet of on the other end of the phone wasn't a sob.

**SPOV**

When I first moved back to Gran's house, I pulled out the box of letters that Eric had sent all those years ago, and sat down with a bottle of wine to read them. I had every intention of reading them in one sitting, but it was physically impossible to read anything with the tears running down my face after the third letter. I decided that I could only read one letter a day, and that I would do it in the morning when I drank my coffee. I knew it might set the tone for a shitty day, but I also knew that I couldn't read them before bed. No matter how sad it was, I thought of it as my daily time with Eric.

They were gut wrenching. The first few letters were full of concern for me, and hints of explanations for breaking up. When he left Basic and went to his next assignment, there was a sort of turning point in the letters, where he no longer wrote to me, but about his experiences. He said that he wasn't sure that I was even receiving the mail from him, but if I was, he wanted me to know he was horribly sorry for hurting me, but that now he needed a friend, someone to confide in, and he didn't know who else to turn to. My heart broke for him. He had so many friends that it was devastating to me, that after everything we'd been through, I was still the only one he was willing to show any vulnerability to. He was not afraid of failing, but afraid of disappointing, that his best would not be _the_ best. His letters would analyze his successes, questioning why he hadn't done even better and explaining how he had learned from every experience. He would never admit it, but being raised by his Aunt, and not his parents, had left a chink in his armor. Somewhere, deep down, I knew he thought he could have done something differently to make his father want to raise him.

In his final letters, when he was facing deployment, there was another shift. It was typical of Eric, to drive himself harder than anyone else around him through the learning process, and in the end, accept his mastery of whatever it was, knowing that he had taken every opportunity to improve and excel and that he was, in fact, the best. The final letter was another goodbye, thanking me for listening, for letting him tell me the things that he needed to get off his chest. He wished me luck, wherever I was, and told me that he thought of me often, but that he wouldn't write again. He was turning a page, starting a new chapter, and he needed to do it on his own. I stayed in bed for two days after reading it. I was swamped with emotions, about the letters, his absence, and the frailty of the future. What if he didn't come back? What if these letters were all I had left of him?

In the end, it was Pam that got me out of bed. She came into my room, looking very surprised to find me there, carrying coffee in one hand and juice in the other.

"Oh, hell no. I am a fucking train wreck; you don't get to fall apart too."

She took her sunglasses off, and she looked as awful as I felt. She set our drinks down and crawled in bed next to me, and we told each other what we were afraid of, crying and talking for what seemed like hours.

Finally, she took my hand and held onto it. "Sook, there isn't a damn thing either of us can do to change things. This baby is coming, and Eric is in Iraq. What's going to happen is already in motion. But we're done crying. We have got to get our shit together. Okay? I need you to help me do this baby thing, and clearly you need me right now, too. So let's get up and take our crazy, red, cried out eyes to the spa in Shreveport and get pampered." When I didn't move, she gave me a mean look. You didn't mess with pregnant Pam. "Sookie, that wasn't a question. Now get up, and get over here, I need help to stand up."

After that, time dragged on. I got to tell Eric about Beatrice, but I hadn't heard from him since. I began to wish that I didn't have time off. Slowly, steadily, days ticked off the page. Substitute teaching was fine, but it was almost Christmas break, and I was going to be bored, at home, with nothing to do. I supposed I could go to North Carolina and help out at the bar, but again, Thalia didn't need me every day, and the apartment there was depressing. I kept finding things of Eric's that made me cry.

He had been gone four months. It felt like four years.

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A/N:

Thanks for reading and taking this crazy journey with me. :) Things will get a little happier in the next chapter, and then he'll practically be home. So hang on! It'll all be okay. Drop me a review! You know how I like them!


	21. Premonition

**Title: Leap of Faith**  
**Chapter 21: Premonition**  
**Disclaimer: I don't own the Southern Vampire characters or stories. All copyright belongs to Charlaine Harris. I just take them out of the box to play.**

**A/N:**  
Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! I want to take a second to thank all of you that are leaving comments in support of both Marines and their wives in your reviews. It's a little crazy that this fic has taken such a patriotic undertone, but it makes my heart swell a little. Bless you all.

Big fat juicy thanks to **S. Meadows** and **A Redhead Thing** – How much do I love you ladies? You had me at hello, as you wish, and ditto! MWUAH.

One more thing, last night some of my fabulous writer friends posted some fics for my birthday! (It was last week, but with the release of Lover Mine and DITF we were all a little busy!) Stories have been posted by Seastarr08, evenflo78, A-Redhead-Thing, educatedguess, SweetSookie, and ohfortuneslost. I hear there are more coming, so keep a look out! *OH - when you view the community it looks empty, but it's an illusion. LOL Sort for fics rated M and they all show up! Here's the link to the community -  
http://www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/community/Missus_Ts_Birthday_fics/81327/14/0/1/

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**SPOV  
**Christmas had always been one of my favorite times of year, but not this one. This year it was lonely and terrifying. I hadn't heard from Eric in over a month, and three nights during the last week I'd received sobbing phone calls from Soph. She'd been having a recurring bad dream. Someone was hurt, but she couldn't tell if it was one of the guys or one of us.

The first time she called, she told me about the dream. She said the image was cloudy, but she heard a doctor shouting orders about prepping for surgery, and someone was saying, "Everything is going to be fine. Do you hear me? You're going to be fine." She woke up after that, heart pounding, covered in a cold sweat, feeling compelled to call me. Then she told me it was probably nothing, so not to worry. Like that was an option. The second time, she told me to be careful, that she was starting to worry.

Last night, she begged me to come to the beach. She said she knew that we needed to be together. I couldn't focus, and certainly couldn't drive. It was five days before Christmas, and I'd been miserable at home without Gran anyway, so I'd packed enough for a couple of weeks and flown into Wilmington. Thalia picked me up, and we silently drove from the airport to Cal and Soph's house. Maybe if I stayed there we would both feel a little bit better, and not so alone.

I was shocked when I walked in the door; Soph looked bad. She'd sounded upset on the phone, and she clearly hadn't slept since then. It looked like she hadn't been sleeping well since the dreams started.

She sniffled at the sight of me. "I'm so sorry, Sookie. I don't know what's going on."

"It's okay. We'll figure it out." I pulled her into a hug. "You look exhausted, let's go lay down."

She fought, saying that she wasn't tired, but I put my foot down, and we stretched out on the bed. I curled behind her, the way I loved Eric to sleep behind me, and we held hands as she cried.

We spent Christmas Eve at Thalia's house. We drank wine and watched movies, all three of us trying not to think about men that were gone. We went to the beach on Christmas day, walking along the shoreline and looking at the endless horizon. Soph and I had both mailed care packages to them for the holidays, but we had no idea if they had arrived. The list of things Eric had asked me to send seemed ridiculous, but Soph assured me she had a similar list: Underwear, black socks, t-shirts, shower gel, toothpaste, medicated foot powder, sunscreen, Chapstick, playing cards, batteries, duct tape, cans of Chef Boyardee ravioli, and more drink mixes. Eric made a point of telling me that he truly needed underwear, batteries, and foot powder; the rest would just be nice to have.

Soph and I had each received Christmas cards, but we didn't get the phone calls we were waiting for. It was becoming very clear to me that I needed to break Soph out of her funk, or we were both going to have a real problem. She had woken up from the dream twice more since I'd arrived, and she was feeling more and more like it was one of the guys that got hurt. We were quickly deteriorating into a depression that would be hard to dig out of. Whatever we did, we had to stay somewhere with cell reception.

I decided I was giving Eric until New Years, not that it was really under his control, but if we hadn't heard from them by then we were going to Key West. We needed a change of scenery, and we needed more sun. Soph had been reluctant at first, but I wasn't taking no for an answer.

We were shopping in Target, and she came out of the bathroom looking terrified. I was afraid that she'd talked to Cal, but she put her arms around me and let out a sob. "I look awful. We need to get out of here. Book the tickets."

On New Years Day, instead of watching football, we were packing our bags. I had a giant fake smile on my face and was telling Soph how much fun we were going to have, when all I wanted to do was curl up in a ball and cry. It had been three days since the last time she had the dream, and I was hoping that it meant it was a mistake, or it wasn't coming true. I knew that it had been months between her dreams and the events before, so that was just wishful thinking. The stress from waiting for bad news, added to a complete lack of contact from Eric for almost six weeks, was turning me into a crazy woman.

We had a flight from Raleigh to Miami. We turned off our cell phones when they announced that it was time to board, holding hands, and praying that they didn't try to call during the two hours we were in the air. We turned our phones back on as soon as the plane landed, breaking the FAA rules and not waiting for the announcement. We sat anxiously as they powered up, sighing in relief that neither of us had voice mails. Soph got our luggage, while I got the rental car. It was around nine o'clock at night, and it was a little over an hour drive down US 1 to Key West, if there was no traffic.

We plugged our phones in as soon as we got in the car. It had been strange over the last two weeks, watching Soph do the same things I had been doing, charging her phone if it dropped down even a bar on the battery icon, leaving the ringer on at all times, checking her email repeatedly. I wondered if she was always like this, or if the dream was amplifying her normal routine. We checked into our hotel and stood on the balcony looking at the water.

"It's funny. We left the beach to come to another one."

"Yeah, but this is our vacation beach. It's not home. We're going to do fun things tomorrow. Mallory Square, Kermit's Key West Key Lime Shoppe, Hemingway house, and Margaritaville. I'm going to buy a painted coconut to mail to Eric."

"That does sound fun."

"Soph, we're going to be okay. We can do this."

"I know. Thank you, Sookie. I never imagined that you'd be the one taking care of me."

I laughed. "I owe you for taking care of me the day they left."

She gave me a look; I knew she didn't agree with me. "If you say so."

**EPOV**  
"Are you kidding me?" Cal was yelling at me, as I kicked his ass at poker, again.

It seemed like we'd been playing poker for a week straight, although, there had been a game of football or two mixed in there. The last week and a half had dragged. We were in the middle of nowhere again, time moved differently here, especially because every single Marine knew that we had been sitting here; waiting for orders, while our families at home, and the other Marines who were actually on base, celebrated Christmas and New Years.

We'd been camped out since our last mission, with word that orders were coming any day, but they hadn't come. Tempers were flaring, if we were going to be out here, we better fucking do something. The only real excitement we'd had, had come the other night when Twining's had appendicitis. He'd been rushed to surgery and would be out of commission a few weeks.

Victor came by and told us we needed to load our gear. It could either mean we were heading in to Fallujah, or we finally got our orders. Either way, I was glad to be moving again. We packed up and milled around the humvees, waiting. Deployment was a lot of hurry up and wait.

It turned out we were actually heading back to Fallujah, and we couldn't get on the road fast enough. I was hoping that Sookie had sent some of the things I asked her for. I needed socks and powder for my feet. It was amazing how fast you wore out socks here, and the funk, from having hot sweaty feet all the time, you couldn't comprehend it if you hadn't been here.

When we finally made it back to base, I made a beeline for the shower, and then collapsed in bed. When I woke up, the day was in full swing. Guys were playing cards, listening to iPods and reading. I could hear the everyday noises of base outside, and it made me want to stay in bed. The only thing motivating me to get up was the thought of food, not out of a vacuum sealed container, and a phone call to Sookie. Cal was sleeping in the next rack over, snoring so loud I had no idea how I'd slept through it. I flicked him on the back of the head and sat back, out of arms reach if he swung at me, he didn't like to wake up.

"What the fuck? Dick."

"I'm going to use the phone. You coming?"

"What? No. Fuck. I called Soph when we got here."

"What?"

"You're screwed." He flopped back down, pulling his pillow over his head, and was asleep again before I stood up.

"Fuck." I shook my head and headed out to wait for a phone, wondering exactly how pissed she was going to be. I checked my watch; we'd been back six hours. If Soph called her right away, she'd had time to get really pissed off. It was 1:30 p.m. here, so it was 6:30 in the morning in Bon Temps. Fuck. She'd probably been up all night.

**SPOV**  
I sat up in bed when I heard the cell phone ringing, and it took only an instant for me to realize that it was Soph's phone, not mine. My heart was pounding. I was excited and terrified at the same time. If her phone was ringing, that meant they were back at a base, but it also meant that Cal was calling, and I had no idea if it meant anything. I mean, was Eric hurt? Or was Cal just faster to get to the phone this time?

I heard Soph's side of the conversation.

"Hello? Calvin? Are you okay?" So much for a warm greeting, she used his full name. He had to notice that. I felt bad. She sounded panicky. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Is everyone alright?"..."Stop talking nonsense and answer my question."..."Cal, stop." She looked at me, and I thought I might need to run to the bathroom to vomit. "Cal, I had a really bad dream. Is Eric okay?"…"You know I'm serious."

She put a hand over the phone and mouthed, 'They're fine.'

"In my dream someone was in surgery. I was so scared, baby. I didn't know who it was; I thought it could have been me or Sookie too."..."Of course I called her. She's here, well, we're together. I mean, we're in Key West."

Grabbing my phone and a sweatshirt, I went onto the balcony and curled up in one of the chairs. Tears were slowly falling down my face. I'd been so worried for the last few weeks that there was just no stopping them. He was okay. It was all that mattered.

A little while later, Soph came out onto the balcony. She sat down and reached over, threading her fingers though mine. "They're fine."

I sighed. It could still be one of us, but I honestly thought that would be easier to deal with. As if she read my thoughts, she eased my mind.

"It was Charles. He had to have his appendix out. He woke them in the middle of the night and had to be rushed to surgery."

"Shit."

"Yeah."

"Cal thought Eric was in the shower, but he wasn't sure. I'm sure he'll call soon."

I woke up with a stiff neck, still sitting on the balcony with Soph. I checked my watch; it had been three hours since Cal called. I sighed, knowing that Eric must be fine, probably busy, and I prayed my phone would ring. I woke Soph and led her, still half asleep, back into the room. I tucked her in and crawled into the other bed, with my phone on the nightstand. I wouldn't be able to sleep, but I could at least be comfortable.

When he finally called, three more hours later, I was mostly numb. I felt neglected, annoyed, maybe even slighted, and I knew I shouldn't be, but I was hurt. I was startled by the ring, but didn't rush to answer it. Well, I didn't rush as much as normal.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Bird. How much trouble am I in?"

I smiled, and most of my bad energy was gone. "Oh, you are very lucky that you're far away, Mr. Northman."

"I took a shower and went to sleep. I woke Cal to call Soph before I came over here, and he told me he'd already called. I'm sorry. I know you were probably worried."

I snorted. "You have no idea." I heard Soph moving around and glanced over. She looked like she was going to go outside. "You don't have to go." I didn't even think to cover the phone.

I almost felt Eric stiffen on the other end of the line. "Who are you talking to?"

"Soph."

"Oh fuck. You're together?"

"Yeah."

"Wait. Where are you? Are you at the apartment or in their guest room?"

"Neither. We're in Key West."

"What?" He sounded confused.

I laughed again. "Key West. It's a long story."

For a second or two I thought I could get away without telling him. He was going to feel bad, and worry about me worrying about him, and I was going to sound all kinds of crazy.

"Sookie."

"I've been with Soph since Christmas. She had a bad dream and called me. Then she called me when she had it again. The third time, she told me to come to Jacksonville."

"Fuck." It was a muttered curse.

"I was having a rather lonely holiday season without Gran and you anyway, so I flew out and spent the Christmas and New Years with her. It was a pretty depressing couple of weeks waiting for you to call, and she was a mess. So, I gave you 'til New Years and told her if we hadn't heard from you two by then, we were taking a trip. We just got here."

"What did she dream?"

"It's okay. We figured it out when Cal called."

"Bird, what scared her so bad that she had you come out there?"

He wasn't going to let me get away with not telling him. "She dreamed about someone going into surgery."

"Oh." He was trying to put his head around the implications. I knew them by heart, I'd been haunted by them for weeks, so I told him.

"We didn't know if it was one of you or one of us. The longer we went without hearing from you, the more we thought it was one of you. But Cal told her what happened, so I guess it was about Charles. She hasn't had the dream in a few days."

He sighed. "Shit. He had surgery four days ago. That's why the dream stopped. I'm sorry. I had no idea. I should have called you as soon as we got back. You probably didn't even sleep after Cal called."

"I slept a bit." I sighed. "It's okay. I was really hurt until I heard your voice now; just talking to you makes it better. How are you?"

"I'm alright. We haven't been near base in forever. We kept getting more orders that required us to stay out, and then the last two weeks we sat waiting for directives that never came."

"Ah. Hurry up and wait, then wait some more."

"Pretty much. Bird, when do you start work?"

"Not 'til July, I think. It got pushed back again. Why? What's up? You coming home to surprise me?" I snorted. Like that was going to happen.

"No, but you might be able to fly out and meet me somewhere in April."

"What?" I thought for a minute that he said I could meet him somewhere in April, but that was crazy.

"We get two weeks leave, if possible, for a twelve month deployment. We don't always get the break if they can't spare us. We didn't get to go during our last two tours, but right now, there are so many troops here that we'll all get a break. So be thinking of where you want to go. I'll know more about the dates the next time we talk. Oh, Soph might not know about it yet, I just found out while I was walking over here."

I was stunned. It never crossed my mind that I'd get to see him sooner than a year.

"Sook?"

"What? I mean, I can't even think. Where should we go?"

"I'll go to Kuwait first, and then they'll let me go to Frankfurt or all the way to Atlanta. We could meet in Europe, or somewhere warmer. Thailand or something, it depends on how far you want to travel."

"It doesn't matter." I just wanted to see him. "Where do you want to go?"

"I don't really want to be in the sand, but I can deal with it if you're in a bathing suit. So, let's think of somewhere with a beach."

"Really? I have a nice new one-piece." He was silent, and I giggled. "You know I haven't worn one of those since junior high. I'm teasing." I was getting excited about seeing him, even if it was a few months away. "Umm, I don't know. What's near you? What about Phuket? That's Thailand, right?"

"Yeah. That sounds good, Bird. Check into it. I'll give you the dates next time we talk, and then you can really plan. I wouldn't book it until closer though, you know how things change. Use the credit card I gave you, it won't be a cheap flight."

I sighed, regretting the way I felt earlier. "I'm sorry I was upset."

"Hey. This is a crazy ride. It's okay." I heard him sigh on the other end as well. "I got your package, and I'm guessing there are a bunch of emails waiting for me too."

"Yeah. Enjoy your underwear and Tinactin foot powder."

"Yeah, it's sad how excited I am when you send that." He laughed.

We finished the call on a much happier note than when it began, laughing as I promised to pack him some shorts and t-shirts from the apartment for our trip.

**EPOV**  
Ten very long weeks after telling her about my leave, I was in a cab, heading for the hotel to meet Sookie. I'd been traveling for twelve hours. It had taken Sookie over twenty-four hours to get here from New Orleans. I checked in at the desk, getting a key card and heading to the room.

Opening the door quietly, I stopped when I saw her, naked on the bed and sound asleep. I stood there for a moment, mesmerized by the site of her, and before I knew it, I had stripped down and was climbing on the bed next to her. I leaned over her, cupped her breasts, taking one of her nipples into my mouth, swirling my tongue around and scraping it with my teeth. She moaned and put her hands in my hair. I grinned, as I moved my attentions to her other breast.

She gasped then, and pulled back. "Oh shit. You're really here. I thought I was dreaming." Her eyes were tired, but she was grinning. "God, you look good. Come here." She pulled my head towards her for a kiss, and I was more than willing to oblige.

Our lips met urgently, tongues dueling, and then my hand slid down her body, slipping between her legs. She was getting wet and I didn't even think before moving over her, entering her in one smooth thrust. She arched her back to meet me, and we moved like we were on fire. It wasn't sweet or soft, it was necessary, and it was fucking. Neither of us lasted very long. I rolled off of her and she crawled up onto my chest, draping her body over mine and nuzzling her head in my neck. Wrapping my arms around her, I breathed in her scent, the mix of her perfume and shampoo. No one smelled like her.

"God. It's good to hold you."

"Shhh. Just go to sleep. You looked exhausted before you had your way with me."

"You said I looked good."

"You did, but you looked tired."

"I'm so fucking tired." I ran my hands up and down her back; the soft flesh under my fingertips was soothing. I could barely keep my eyes open. "But you were so beautiful lying there, I couldn't resist."

"I'm glad you didn't." She yawned. "Now get some rest. We have ten days. I expect you to ravage me often. So you'll need your strength."

"Oh shit, you're going to turn me on, again." We laughed quietly, and I fell asleep feeling her hand running through my hair.

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**A/N:** Surprise! LOL Um, so if you feel like this is unrealistic, the distance, the money, the fact that Sookie pulled Phuket out of her ass – let's all take a deep breath, and remember that this is a work of fiction. I'm doin' the best I can. : ) OH - and you should all thank **Seastarr08** for the vacation, cuz I almost skipped it, but she got me all excited about writing it. Go read her new fic Better Man - E/S as superheros - in tight spandex. For real.

I want to warn you that we are winding down. Only a couple chapters left. I know some of you want this story to go on forever, but I'd like to end before we jump the shark. (For the non-Americans, this refers to an episode of the television show "Happy Days" where the Fonz jumped a shark on waterskis. It's considered the lowest point of the show, and the beginning of the end. Another example – when Scrappy Doo joined Scooby and the gang.)

Thanks for reading and taking time to review. Big, huge hugs to all of you for your support!

After extensive web searching, there are a lot of awesome looking hotels in Phuket, this is where I have them staying: J.W. Marriott Phuket  
http://www(dot)phuket(dot)com/marriott/

PS: Red – it really does exist! Kermit's Key West Key Lime Shoppe  
http://www(dot)keylimeshop(dot)com/


	22. Thai Food

**Title: Leap of Faith  
Chapter 22: Thai Food  
Disclaimer: I don't own the Southern Vampire characters or stories. All copyright belongs to Charlaine Harris. I just take them out of the box to play.**

**A/N:**  
Thanks to everyone for their continued reading. And to those of you who've just found this story and read straight the whole thing in one sitting in the past week or so - that must have been a hell of a day. Ha ha!

Great big viking hugs to yo-diggity-yo-yo, her hubs deploys on her bday this week. I can't imagine a shittier bday. She's probably locked in the bedroom repeatedly saying goodbye to him, but I just want her to know that I, and most likely several of you, will be thinking of her on Thursday. *Hugs*

Muchas gracias a **S. Meadows** y **AReadheadThing** for being such amazing betas and friends. They are the wind beneath my wings. Meads has a birthday this week too! Feliz Cumpleanos Amiga!

00oo00oo00oo00oo00oo

**SPOV**  
My nose itched, it was being tickled, and there was something slowly gliding over my back that felt amazing. I wrinkled my nose, but it still itched. I reached forward to rub my nose, thinking if it would stop itching, I could fall back asleep. My hand ran into something before it made it to my face.

"What the?" I muttered, running my hand along a strong arm. "Oh my god!" I sat up, looking into Eric's laughing eyes.

"Hey, gorgeous."

"Hi! Wow, you're really here, huh?"

He laughed. Our legs were tangled, and I was stretched out on top of him.

"Did you sleep well?"

"I did. How long was I out?"

"Mmmmm." He inhaled. "Maybe, four hours? It's almost dinner time. Are you hungry?"

"I am." I giggled and bent to kiss him. Much later we called for room service.

***  
Phuket was beautiful. An island in the south of Thailand, it's located in the Andaman Sea. The area had a tropical climate and we were there just before the rainy season.

Our hotel was amazing, though we hadn't seen much of it the first two days we were there. I finally told Eric that if he actually wanted to see my new bathing suit, we needed to go to the beach. We made it as far as the pool, when he looked wistfully at the lounge chairs, and I cracked up laughing.

I hugged him, and sat down my things, still chuckling. "It's fine Eric. I understand, there's no sand here at the pool."

We slathered on the sunscreen and spent the day in the sun, and in and out of the pool. Eric took advantage of the poolside bar, and I snapped pictures of him, the sun on his hair and the water making his eyes sparkle. We spent two days that way, soaking in the sun during the day while immersing ourselves in each other at night, and then we joined the other tourists in site seeing.

I had booked us reservations with the Siam Safari Elephant Camp for a safari tour and dinner cruise. On our scheduled day, we boarded a van mid-morning, and rode through the city, into the jungle. It was lush and green, truly a jungle, like nothing I'd ever seen before in real life. I mean, the bayou is wild and full of vegetation, but it's completely different, and the sounds that you could hear; bugs, birds and monkeys, it was magnificent. I couldn't wipe the grin from my face.

When we arrived at the camp, we saw a demonstration about how coconuts were processed to make coconut milk and oil, but neither of us really liked coconut, so we didn't pay too much attention. What we were both waiting for, was to see the elephants. Eventually, we sat down where they taught us about elephants and their history in Thailand. We saw how young elephants were trained, and then we were allowed to both pet them and feed them bananas.

Eric was laughing. "You know what this feels like? A pig."

"When have you been petting pigs?"

"I'll never tell," he teased, waggling his eyebrows. "Come here, feel this." He was holding up the elephant's ear, stroking it with an open hand. They had these big eyes and long eyelashes. They seemed sweet, but you could definitely tell how powerful they were.

As part of the tour, we got to ride an elephant through the jungle. It was a short, but wonderful trip. Our bodies swayed as the elephants lumbered along the path. I was falling in love with these giant beasts.

The guides spoke to us about Thai elephant conservation, which included the 'Ivory belongs on elephants' campaign and a mobile veterinary clinic for elephants. Unfortunately, many of their efforts had been put on hold by the tsunami several years ago, when no tourists came to support the programs for almost a year, and they were still rebuilding.

We ended the day with a cruise on a traditional wooden junk in Chalong bay. We relaxed on the boat, having a snack and a drink, while we listened to the waves against the hull of the ship. We stood by the rail watching the horizon, and I tucked myself under Eric's arm and tight around his side. It was breathtaking, looking out at the endless sea and feeling the salt air on our skin. He told me some stories about his friends in Iraq and I told him about Jason's latest girlfriend. The sun started to set, and we headed back to the hotel. Our days were passing by, and I knew it wasn't going to be enough time.

Another morning, the alarm went off and Eric prodded me to get in the shower. I had no idea what he had planned, but knew something was up because he had set the alarm. We were in the hotel lobby by 7:45 a.m., and Eric checked in with the concierge before joining me on a couch. A few other people seemed to be waiting around, but I still had no idea what we were doing. I was still confused when we were greeted by a man in a chef's coat.

"_Sa-wat dee._ Hello. Are you here for the market tour?" Eric nodded, and they shook hands. "I'm chef Charanong, please, call me Char."

"_Khorb koon._ Thank you." Eric had been chatting up the waiters and bartenders, learning key Thai phrases. "We're the Northman's. I'm Eric, and this is my wife Sookie."

Char grinned at us. "Welcome. It is very nice to meet you." His English was accented, but easily understandable. I wondered if he'd gone to school in the states.

"Allow me to gather the rest of our group, and then we will travel to the Thai market. We shall begin your morning of Thai cooking lessons after we return and eat breakfast." He moved away and greeted another couple.

I turned to Eric, who looked very proud of himself. "You booked us a cooking class?"

"Yep. You can say it, I'm the best husband ever."

Laughing, I took his face in my hands and gave him a quick kiss. "You really are the best husband," I said shaking my head. "Thank you."

We boarded a shuttle van and drove to the fresh market, where we walked around with several other couples. It was so different than most places that we had in the states. Sure, you could go to farmers markets for herbs and vegetables, but fresh meat and fish? It was something that you would see in an ethnic enclave in a large American city; Chinatown in San Francisco or Little Mexico in Chicago. But there was nothing like it in Bon Temps, Louisiana or even Jacksonville, North Carolina, that was for sure. Eric joked around, putting his nose almost on a carcass of something; that if I had to guess, was at one time a pig. It wasn't that I didn't eat meat; I just didn't want to see it out of its skin hanging from a hook. When you were away from the meat, the smell of spices in the market was delightful. We saw sweet basil, turmeric, lemon grass, and countless other herbs. Throughout the morning, Char bought items, handing off bags to the members of our group, as his hands got full.

Eventually, we headed back to the hotel for our breakfast, and then the cooking lesson. The menu for the day was Phad Thai, or Stir-fried rice noodles, with tamarind sauce and grilled prawns, green curry, and Som Tum spicy green papaya salad. We each participated in the preparation and cooking of the dishes, although I had to laugh at Eric's stress level when Char repeatedly eyeballed ingredients and didn't measure precisely. When everything was ready, we sat down to a marvelous lunch, chatting across the table with the students, laughing about things we had seen in the market and enjoying the food.

One evening, we went to a Vegas style show called _Fantasy of a Kingdom_. It took place inside the Fantasea Theme Park that we had opted _not_ to spend an entire day at. Actually, I thought it might be fun, but Eric had laughed hysterically about it, so we didn't go. The show featured acrobats, pyrotechnics, special effects, elephants and dancers to tell stories of Thailand's Myths, Mysteries and Magic. It was kind of amazing actually, in a Bollywood meets Cirque du Soleil kind of way.

We spent a lot of our time together during the week talking, catching up on the years we had lost. It was odd, but it was such a great feeling to hear Eric introducing me as his wife, or to hear someone call us, "The Northmans." When I was alone, saying I was married or mentioning Eric as my husband, was a reminder that he was gone, but when we were together, it was the most romantic thing I'd ever heard.

An Australian couple, the Prings, who we'd spent the day with at the pool invited us to join them ingoing to Phuket Town for the evening, so we went along. We'd heard the stories about the wild nightlife, and wanted to people watch and at least say, "Been there, done that." We ended up having a blast. Phuket Town had a bit of everything; restaurants, beer bars, pubs, discos, lounges, and of course, transvestite cabarets. We ended up at Aussie Bar to watch rugby. The Canberra Raiders were playing the Brisbane Broncos, which was the Prings' home team. By the end of the night we were singing along with the Broncos fans, shouting drinking songs at the top of our lungs.

In the morning, we nursed our hangovers at the pool, soaking in the sun. A couple of days later, we were tanned, relaxed, exhausted, and facing our last night together, again.

**EPOV**  
How the hell did ten days go by in the blink of an eye? We were lying in bed, panting and sweating, and all I could think about was that we were leaving in the morning. We had a romantic dinner at a restaurant overlooking the beach, complete with champagne and chocolates, then we had returned to the room to enjoy each other for dessert.

"I love you, Sookie." It came out sounding more emotional than I intended.

"I love you, too." She sighed, and ran her hand over my chest. Sitting up on her elbow, our eyes met, and we were still, looking at each other for a long moment. "What are you going to do when you come home for good? You talked about working with Bud at the Sheriff's office, but, what about the bar? I didn't even know you had the bar when you said that."

"Yeah, I've been thinking about it. What would you think if we kept the bar? If I went out there a few days each month or something?"

"That's fine. You don't need to ask me if you can do that."

"See, that's where you're wrong. You keep saying _you_, but this is about _us_."

She punched my arm. "What will _we_ do the rest of the time? Will you get another job, or manage the bar from Bon Temps?"

I scooted, angling my body so I could see her face. "What would you say to opening a bar in Bon Temps, too? It would be totally different, I mean, it probably wouldn't have a dance floor, but it'd have pool tables, darts, and a jukebox."

"It sounds good. Do you think it'll compete with Merlotte's? I mean Bon Temps isn't that big."

"Yeah. I've been thinking about the old tavern by the highway. It closed down last year after old man Eggs died. That would attract people from Monroe as well."

"Is it for sale?"

"Hoyt said Egg's son wants to unload it." I brushed a hand over her hair, tucking some behind her ear. "You remember that I'll have to stay in Jacksonville for a few months before I move to Bon Temps, right?"

"Yeah. You said you have to do debriefing stuff, and that you can't actually retire until December first, right?"

"Right. I know you'll be working, but we'll see each other. Have I told you about the Marine Corps Ball? We'll go to that in November. You'll need a formal dress, what do you call that?"

"A ball gown?" She laughed.

"Yeah. A ball gown. It'll be in late October or early November, but I won't have the exact date until later."

"Okay. And you'll be in your dress blues?"

"Yup. It'll be my last time in the blues."

"Oh, I do love your blues. Sometimes I just sit and look at our wedding pictures, thinking about taking that uniform off of you, button by button."

"Fuck." My voice was hoarse.

"The only thing better than your blues is when you're naked, like now." Her hand slid down, finding my hardening cock, initiating round two for the night. "It makes it so much easier to do this." Her hand pumped me as her voice teased. She tightened her hand, putting pressure on all the right parts, as her tongue caressed my ear. It was a huge turn on for me and she knew it.

For about a second, I thought about letting her play her little game with me, teasing me until I was ready to explode, instead I flipped over, trapping her beneath me. I rocked my hips, turning the tables on her as I moved against her, passing over the entrance she wanted me to slide into. I taunted her, slowly stroking against her clit as I kissed her neck and gently nipped at her pulse. She arched her back, trying to adjust her body so that she could get me inside her, but I resisted.

I kissed my way down her body, stopping to take each nipple into my mouth, savoring the tight pink peaks. Continuing lower, I opened her center with my thumbs, and brushed my tongue over the sensitive nerves. Adding my fingers into the equation, I brought her to the edge twice, only to ease off, making her whimper. I curled my finger forward inside of her, hitting her g-spot and pausing just a second, before repeating the motion, several times.

She was yanking on my hair, trying to pull my head towards her face, and I wanted to fuck her so bad I gave in. I moved up her body, kissing her hard on the mouth, as I pushed my cock hard and fast into her so familiar, hot, wet center. We both gasped, our nerve endings screaming at our joining. My hips began moving of their own volition, I couldn't stop myself from driving into her. When my mind cleared enough to process thought, I realized Sookie was crying out with each stroke.

"Oh my God, yes. Fuck. Oh my God."

I brought my hand between us, pressing on her swollen clit, and she screamed, her back arching and body going taught. I felt her muscles clench around me, her nails dug into my ass, and there was no stopping the orgasm that shot through me, pulsing into her.

"Oh, Christ." I groaned, my forehead against hers, panting hard.

"Yeah," was all she was able to say, as she caught her breath. I started to move off of her and she stopped me. "No. Stay."

Resting my weight on my elbows as much as I could, I looked into her eyes, and she stared back, as she smoothed my hair over my ears. I leaned down, kissing her sweetly. She sighed, and I felt her shiver.

She laughed. "Okay, I can't breathe."

Shaking my head, I pulled out and moved beside her. We snuggled for a few minutes, and she went to the bathroom to clean up. When she came back, she jumped up onto the bed, landing on her knees, making me bounce. I raised my eyebrow at her, wondering where she'd found her energy.

"Let's get dressed and go outside."

"What?" It was the last thing I expected her to say.

"Come on! Are you too tired?" She hopped back up and threw on shorts and a t-shirt, with nothing underneath. I followed her lead and watched her grab a pair of towels and the extra blanket from the closet, wrapping it around the half full bottle of Moet champagne that had been in the ice bucket. She walked to the door and looked over her shoulder at me, like a fucking sex kitten.

I followed her like she had me on a leash, and we wound up on the beach, waling to the far side of the land owned by the hotel where the jungle began. She spread the blanket out and wiggled the bottom of the Moet bottle into the sand to hold it up upright. She pulled her shirt over her head, and it knocked me out of my trance. I stripped and chased her into the water. We splashed and played, trying to keep quiet so we didn't get caught. That was the last thing I needed. We ending up dripping wet, having sex on the blanket. By the time we were finished rolling around, we were both covered in sand.

"That is so uncomfortable." She sighed, rubbing at some sand on her neck.

"Welcome to my world. The good news, is that you'll think of me next week when you find more sand in some random crevice of your body."

"Oh, that's not good news."

I laughed. I loved her so much. I don't think anyone else could have gotten me to roll around in the God forsaken sand while on leave. She tried to brush some grains of sand off my chest; I didn't want to tell her it was pointless.

She exhaled. "I can do it." She nodded, and I cocked my head at her. "I can make it 'til you get home. I was worried when you first left, and I was a little worried that seeing you here was going to wreck me, but I'm good. I can do it." She made a little face, like, 'Meh, no problem.'

"Well, good. I'll be home in no time now." I smiled. I didn't really know what else to say, so I changed the subject. "We can go to the airport together in the morning. I'll see you off and then hang out there until my flight leaves."

"Are you sure?" She sat up on her elbow. "My flight is like three and a half hours before yours."

"I'm sure, Bird. I don't need to stay here without you."

She put her head down on my chest. "This has been a great trip. I love it when you tell people I'm your wife."

"I love to say it. I feel all possessive."

"I know you do. I can't wait 'til you say something like, 'This is my son. Or daughter.'"

My heart practically stopped. "Sookie."

"What? Oh, no! That's not what I meant."

"Are you still on birth control?"

"Eric! This is a fine time to ask me, after we've had crazy hot Thai sex for ten days!" I looked at her, waiting; she hadn't answered. She sighed. "Yes, I am. I didn't want to make a decision like that without you, and I didn't want to ask you to wear a condom this whole vacation if you weren't ready to start trying."

I kissed her, quick and hard. "I'm ready when you are."

"You are? Don't you want to come home and get settled and all that?"

"Sookie, even if we start trying now, or when I get home, it could take months. After that it would be nine months before the baby was born."

"Wow. Okay. I'm throwing the pills away when we get inside then."

"You are?" Holy shit, we were on the same page with this.

"Yeah, I mean, I'm ready to start a family. I know all the stuff you just told me. I didn't know that you knew it. And I didn't know you were ready. I mean, we haven't been married long. We haven't even been back together long. I never really stopped loving you, but, you know."

"I know." I gave her a soft kiss. "I'm ready to start our family Sookie. I'm coming home, and you're stuck with me."

"That makes me really happy." She had tears in her eyes.

"You make me happy. Come on, Mrs. Northman. Let's go inside and try to shower off some of this sand."

After our shower, we stayed awake, talking and making love all night, agreeing that we could sleep on the plane. We enjoyed a quick breakfast before checking out, and caught a cab to the airport. I held her hand as we sat talking at her gate, rubbing my thumb over the back of her hand, memorizing the feel of her skin. We had both cried in the hotel room, and I was hoping we could get away with minimal tears at the airport.

They called out to start boarding her flight and she fought back tears.

"Bird," I whispered.

She closed her eyes, swallowing, and nodded. "I know. I'll be okay." Exhaling, she put her chin up and tried to smile. "Please be careful. I mean it."

"I'm always careful, Sookie."

"Well, be extra careful," she huffed, and then we both laughed. "I love you, Eric. It's not just you anymore."

Fuck. I pulled her into my arms and did all I could not to cry. "I love you, Sookie. I'll be home in no time."

I felt her nod against my shoulder. "Okay. I'm going to board soon, and I'm not going to look back."

"I understand." I did. It would have been a knife to the heart to walk away and look back at her as I got on the plane.

"I love you. I can't wait for you to come home and open a bar and make babies."

I laughed, and kissed the crook of her neck. "I love you, too. I'll be home soon." I wasn't going to say goodbye. I figured if I kept repeating that I'd be home soon, we might start to believe it.

She stepped back, looking at me for a second, before leaning in to kiss me. It was slow and tender, and it wrapped itself around my heart. She sighed, and pulled back before I expected her to. She bit her lip, and stared at me. The flight attendant called for boarding all passengers, and Sookie looked over her shoulder at the gate.

Turning back to me she nodded. "Love you."

She took a step away from me, and I knew she meant what she said, that she wasn't going to look back.

"I love you; I'll be home in no time."

"You better be." She gave me a stern look and we both broke into genuine smiles.

She walked to the gate and I stood by the window, watching until her plane taxied out of sight.

00oo00oo00oo00oo00oo00oo00oo

**A/N: **  
Thanks so much for taking this emotional ride with me. Eric will be home in the next chapter, you can all breathe a sigh of relief. Leave me your thoughts and comments, questions and concerns. See, I'm being all nice, I just want you to leave me some review lovin'!

*Waves at **DazedRose**.* I hope you had a great trip to Taz. ;) I loved getting to slip in an Aussie friend as a cameo! So fun!

Aussie Bar is real, so are the safari and cooking class:  
Aussie Bar http://www(dot)aussiebarphuket(dot)com/

Siam Safari: http://www(dot)siamsafari(dot)com/

JW Marriott Phuket Ginja Cooking School: http://www(dot)phuket(dot)com/marriott/cooking(dot)htm

OH – and _Fantasy of a Kingdom _and then theme park are real too. LOL

Phuket-Fantasea: http://www(dot)phuket-fantasea(dot)com/


	23. Home Sweet Home

**Title: Leap of Faith**

**Chapter 23: Home Sweet Home**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Southern Vampire characters or stories. All copyright belongs to Charlaine Harris. I just take them out of the box to play.**

**A/N:**  
Thanks so much to everyone who reads and reviews!  
Thanks a million times over to S. Meadows and A Redhead Thing. I can't explain how much they rock my flip flops.

*~*~*~*~*  
**EPOV  
**Knowing that I was going home to Sookie was the only thing that kept me going for those last four months. While we tooled around in the desert, I did all that I could to make plans for my future. I emailed Bobby Burnham about old man Eggs' bar in Bon Temps, and he was going to get things moving before I got home. I sent a message to Thalia about my plans, but assured her that I was keeping _Odin's Spear_ as well. I told her we'd figure out the logistics when I was back in the states. If we were able to run the bar together while I was overseas, we could certainly do it while I was in Bon Temps.

Thalia was thrilled with the idea that I wanted to keep the bar in Jacksonville. She didn't have the money to buy me out, and she didn't want to work anywhere else. She told me how much she loved the _Spear_, and that she felt it was the one thing that had gotten her through her grief after Quinn died. I knew how she felt. Although it had started as a big fuck you to my father, the bar had become something that I was proud of, and I couldn't imagine selling it.

Time in Iraq was monotonous. While I was in Thailand with Sookie, it seemed like time flew away in a heartbeat, but here, in the oven of Iraq, time moved by the millisecond. We had missions in the field that kept us away for weeks at a time. We escorted troops, followed convoys into skirmishes, and searched for IEDs. The weather never changed much. It was hot, sunny, sandy, and I was always sweaty. My feet were jacked up again, and I'd had to do some serious bartering to get some of that damn Tinactin powder. We repeatedly rode across the desert in our humvees, bickered at each other over ridiculous nonsense, and each hot day bled into the next.

We were all anxious to go home. While we had been in this god forsaken wasteland, the lives of our loved ones had gone on without us. During our twelve month tour, Victor's girlfriend had cheated on him with his best friend, Twinnings' wife Jessica had a miscarriage, and one of our commanding officer's wives had been diagnosed with breast cancer. These were the kind of things that we all had to think about everyday, far away from reality, with limited communication, and emotions running high. It was a wonder we didn't kick the shit out of each other on a regular basis.

I checked my email whenever I could, and it was always full of messages from Sookie and Pam. The messages were full of everything from pictures of the weather, or the flowers in Gran's garden, to stories about Jason and his latest girlfriend, or Beatrice's latest accomplishments. I loved reading the little notes from Sookie telling me about her new job and how happy she was to be back in Bon Temps, and mostly, how she couldn't wait for me to come home. I felt like after all these years my life had direction again. I had Sookie, my family, a business, well, two, and I couldn't wait to get home and get started living it again.

When it was finally time to do all of our paperwork and get the hell out of there, we walked a delicate balance of giddiness at the thought of going home, and an exhaustion that could not be described. People were both more likely to snap at you for the slightest transgression and to wave it off with a laugh, it was like living in a powder keg.

I breathed a sigh of relief when we boarded the plane. Not only was I leaving the desert for the last time, but I was going home to the dreams that I thought I had personally destroyed. The engines roared and the flight took off. I closed my eyes and thought about home, it was an old farmhouse with a front porch swing, and my wife sitting on the steps.

**SPOV**  
Sam picked me up in New Orleans. He listened to me talk about our trip almost the whole ride home. He loved hearing about the elephants and laughed about our cooking class. I promised to make him Thai food sometime, or take him out for Thai in Shreveport so we could try different things. He thought it sounded great, joking that he should put something Thai on the menu at Merlotte's. We both knew how poorly that would go over with the locals.

After a while, I hesitantly told him about Eric's idea to open old man Egg's bar, and he was surprisingly fine with it.

"Shug, that's more of a highway bar. You'll bring in a whole different crowd, and besides, he and I may be able to work out some better deals with distributors if they're delivering to both of us. Not to mention, if he's opening up a business here, it means that you two will be staying around. Believe it or not, we've missed you."

"Thanks, Sam. I'm really looking forward to getting everything started when he gets home. I think his lawyer is going to dig around and try to put an offer on the place before then."

"Let me know if you need anything before he gets back."

He pulled down the driveway to Gran's, well, mine and Eric's house, and carried my bags inside. Smiling, he gave me a long hug. "You gonna be okay, cher?"

I nodded. "Yeah. It's only four months, right?"

"That's a good attitude. You come by the bar anytime you get lonely, or if you want to talk. You call me if you need anything, anything at all."

"I will Sam. Thanks for everything."

I threw a load of laundry in the washer and crawled into bed, holding on to one of Eric's dirty shirts. I breathed in his scent and closed my eyes. Four months. Twelve weeks. One hundred and twelve days. I fell asleep trying to calculate the hours until he would be home.

The first week was the hardest. I was used to sleeping next to Eric, and I kept trying to tell him things, but he wasn't there. I numbered the days on my calendar, and always knew how many days it would be until he was home. I knew that it wasn't entirely accurate, because we didn't know the exact date he would be back, but I pretended like I had a firm number.

Cal had been at home with Soph the week I got back. After he left, Soph told me that they barricaded themselves in the house for a few days and then drove to Cal's parents' place. They only lasted two days before Cal was ready to leave. Soph said his dad argued with him the entire time and his mom asked for money. Cal drove home, and when they weren't locked in the bedroom, they spent time with friends, grilling out and going to the beach.

I heard from Eric on Monday morning of the third week, when I was up to my ankles in shit, literally. The septic had backed up and Bubba, the guy with the pump truck, had laughed when I gave him my address, saying he expected a call from Gran a couple of months ago. Apparently, she had it pumped each year, and had been told for at least the last five that she needed to have it replaced. Jason came over to talk with the guy, and we were plotting where we should put the new system.

My phone rang and I answered without even glancing at the caller I.D. to see who it was. I sighed in frustration; the morning had sucked. "Hello."

"That doesn't sound good."

"Eric? Ohmygod. I'm sorry." I turned my head, "Jase, you got this?" He nodded and I trudged back towards the house. "Sorry. We had a bit of excitement."

I explained the shitty problem and he made me feel a little better, laughing at the right places and telling me to thank Jason for helping. Memorial Day was coming up soon, so we talked about my plans to help out at Merlotte's annual cook out and horse-shoe tournament. Eric was jealous, knowing that it would be a great time, with a lot of beer and delicious home cooking.

We talked as much as we could, never sure when our next conversation would be. I had been emailing him pictures of baby Beatrice, and Pam had too. He was excited to hear that at seven months, she had her first tooth and was starting to crawl.

We talked about some of the renovations to the house, and I updated him on the progress in things since I'd gotten back from Thailand. He was most excited to hear about the work on the bathrooms. I couldn't get rid of Gran's old claw foot tub; instead I'd had it moved into the guest bathroom upstairs, while a large tub and shower enclosure with two shower heads replaced it on the main floor. I told him about the new stove that I was excited about. I was still getting used to the way the oven baked things, but the range top was amazing. Several of the burners had been out on Gran's ancient model, and the pilot light had had a habit of going out.

What I didn't tell him about was the guest room that I was having turned into an office for him. The walls had been painted, and Jason had brought an old desk set down from the attic. I had picked out some trophies and pictures from his bedroom at Aunt O's house, some Marine Corps certificates from the apartment in Jacksonville, and a few things from my SookienEric memorabilia box to decorate the room. There was a large picture of us kissing when Reverend Taylor pronounced us man and wife on the corner of the desk. I was quite proud of the room, and couldn't wait for him to see it.

Eric told me stories too, like how he had to help change a flat tire on a crowded highway, while a large group of Marines watched anxiously and harassed them because their humvee was blocking a long line of traffic. He told me about Victor and some guy having a fight over a can of chef boy-ardee that had to be decided by a best three out of five match of rock, paper, scissors, to prevent a fist fight. Eventually, I heard him sigh, and knew our time was up.

"Alright, I have to go; the line is stacking up for the phone. I love you and miss you."

"Damn, the time goes so fast. I love you, and miss you too. Be safe." I felt like I needed to say it every time.

"I'll talk to you soon."

He ended the call, and I was all kinds of impressed with myself for not crying. Sure, I had gotten choked up, but I had not actually cried. I went back out in the yard to see Jason and Bubba drinking beer. That was Bon Temps for you.

Eric and I talked twice more, and then it was time for him to come home, well, back to LeJuene anyway. I didn't have time off from my new job yet, but since they knew the situation when I got hired, they had given me a week off, ten days if he got delayed. They'd also promised to let me work overtime, and my flex hours, so we could spend some weekends together before he officially retired.

I flew into Wilmington and Thalia picked me up again. We drove up the coast, talking about the bar and how excited she was to have Eric around to see how successful it really was. He saw the success financially, and spent time there when he was home, but he hadn't been there for longer than a month or two at a time since the bar had opened.

Soph met us at the apartment and we had some wine before heading down to the bar for dinner. We hadn't gotten the official word that they had left Iraq yet, so we knew we had at least two days before they made it home. We got drunk again, catching up on the last few months and looking at my pictures of Thailand.

Thalia had a new boyfriend, John Flood, and she told us all about him. He was a retired Marine, having put in his twenty years and retired before his fortieth birthday. He worked as a mechanic at a local car dealership. He loved working on cars, and had restored a forest green 1969 Corvette Stingray that he couldn't wait to show Eric. He also couldn't wait to get a chance to drive Eric's Vette. Thalia said that was Eric's decision.

I did some spring cleaning in the apartment, so to speak. Although Thalia had been in and out and slept over a couple of times, it hadn't been lived in since I was there at Christmas. I dusted, mopped, and washed the sheets and towels so everything would be fresh when Eric got home. I went to the store and stocked up on the things I knew he'd been missing, including the ingredients for a large batch of Stackhouse Chicken.

I had thrown out my birth control pills while we were on vacation, and I couldn't wait to get on with starting our family. According to most things I'd read, there was an eighty percent chance that we would get pregnant in the first year. I thought we might have a little bit of an edge on that, with the sheer amount of sex we'd be having when he got home. I prayed to the gods that we wouldn't have any problems getting pregnant. I had some friends who had really struggled.

Soph said we probably wouldn't actually hear from Eric or Cal before they flew home, but we'd get a confirmation from the Marines when they left Kuwait. They were doing all of their demobilization processing before they flew home, so they were ours when they got off the bus. We waited, and I wouldn't say we were patient about it.

Every time the phone rang I jumped. Finally, Soph called; they had taken off, and would be home the following day. It took anywhere from fourteen to twenty hours, depending on layovers, to get back.

We stood, waiting for the buses, in the same lot we'd been in when they left. I was a nervous wreck. I didn't know why, but my palms were sweating and my heart was pounding. I couldn't wait to see him. Sure, he had about four months officially left as a Marine, but he was my Marine, and he'd made it home safely.

When I saw Eric and Cal walking towards us, I wanted to run at Eric and jump on him, but I stood there, transfixed, drinking in the sight of him. I started at his feet, and worked my way up his body. I knew that he was fine, uninjured, but I felt compelled to see for myself that he was moving alright and had all of his limbs. When my eyes finally reached his face, he was smirking, and the corners of my mouth lifted to match his. I bit my lip as he started to walk faster. I was oblivious to Soph standing next to me, and the obvious joy that she and Cal shared, that I'm sure mirrored ours. I gave up when they were a few steps away and ran, jumping into Eric's arms.

He dropped his bag and caught me, and his arms went under my ass to hold me up, as my ankles crossed behind his back. I grabbed his face and began kissing him, whispering, "I love you," over and over. He finally put me down, and I realized I was crying.

"Hey! No crying. I'm here." He twined his hands through my hair and kissed me again. "God, I love you. You smell so good." He sighed. "Let's go home."

I nodded, and looked over at Cal and Soph who were practically dry humping. Eric put his foot in the crook of Cal's knee, causing it to buckle. They broke apart, laughing, and we headed to the car. Eric and Cal nodded at some of the other Marines, and told a few people they'd call or see them soon, but they never stopped our progress towards the car.

We loaded their gear, and then Eric and I climbed into the back seat. We started out sitting side by side, holding hands, but that wasn't enough. He pulled me into his lap and wrapped his arms around me, inhaling deeply; then we were kissing and I couldn't keep my hands off his chest.

A loud voice brought me to my senses, "There is no fucking in my backseat, unless it's me and Soph."

Eric pressed his forehead to mine and smiled. "Then drive faster, Calvin."

"Dude, you did not just say that."

"I did. Drive faster so you can kick my ass when we get to my place." We all laughed and Cal did, indeed, drive faster.

He parked next to the Vette, and Eric grabbed his things from the trunk. We said quick goodbyes, and Soph didn't even get out of the car, which I completely understood. Then they were gone, and Eric and I went into the stairwell to head to our apartment. I looked over my shoulder at Eric a couple of steps below me, and he was staring at my ass.

I turned around quickly, taking him by surprise, and grabbed his face, kissing him like he was the air I needed to breathe. His bag dropped, and his hands were everywhere, sliding under my shirt, cupping my ass, and rubbing my nipples. I started unbuttoning his shirt and gave up, working on his belt and zipper. Maybe it was the absolute relief that he was back for good, or the idea that this was the beginning of the rest of our lives, but I was overcome with desire for him. It was ridiculous and cliché, but there was no way I was making it into the apartment, or hell, even up the stairs, before we had sex.

He pulled my shirt over my head and unhooked my bra, dropping it beside us. He held my breasts, and nuzzled his face between them. I pushed his pants over his hips, moaning as my hands met his hot erection.

"Jesus, Sookie. I'm going to fuck you right here if you don't stop."

"Oh god yes." I released him, pushing my own shorts down.

His eyes went wide. "Fuck."

He kissed me, maneuvering us so that I was sitting on the stairs and he was sliding my shorts the rest of the way down my legs. I kicked off my flip flops, and he pulled the fabric over my feet, letting my shorts fall to the floor in the entryway. He sank to his knees, leaning forward to kiss me again as his hand found my sex. His fingers stroked me, and he groaned as I wrapped my hand around him impatiently, pumping hard and fast.

"Eric," I breathed, pulling away from his kiss. Our eyes met, his were dark and smoky, as he pushed into me. He cupped my ass with his hands, trying to keep my back from banging against the stairs, as he thrust, rolling his hips, driving into me. I arched my back and braced my hands behind me, meeting his strokes with my hips. I knew I was still going to be bruised and sore, but I didn't care.

I could feel my orgasm building like a fire. I threw my head back, crying out, as my body grew tighter around him with each thrust, until my release exploded, triggering all of my nerve endings.

He continued his frenzied pace, until his body tensed, and he was grinding against me. I felt him cum, pulsing into my center and pushing his forehead against my shoulder.

"Holy shit, that was amazing." He was breathing heavy.

I rubbed my hands up and down his back. "It was. I'm so glad you're home."

He laughed, and raised his head to look at me. "Bird, we didn't make it into the house."

I giggled. "No, I guess not."

He pulled out and I moaned, feeling empty. He used both hands braced against walls of the stairwell to stand, and I realized his pants were tangled around his ankles, stuck around his boots. He pulled them up, leaving them unfastened, and reached for my hand. I stood with his help, and put my arms around him again.

"Bird. I've got to carry this stuff upstairs."

I kissed him and slowly stepped back, pouting, and we both laughed again. He shook his head and handed me my clothes and flip flops, before hoisting his rucksack to his shoulder. I walked ahead of him up the stairs wearing nothing but his hand on my hip.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
**A/N: **  
UNF. Our Marine is home, and he's all kinds of sexy! They're going to have some time before Eric retires and gets the bar open. Good times!

Thoughts? Comments? Thanks again for taking this ride with me!


	24. I love this Bar

**Title: Leap of Faith  
Chapter 24: I Love this Bar  
Disclaimer: I don't own the Southern Vampire characters or stories. All copyright belongs to Charlaine Harris. I just take them out of the box to play.**

**A/N:**  
Holy Stars and Stripes Batman! Totally crazy to be posting an LOF chapter on Memorial Day. Remembering all the men and women who have fought and died for our country, and thanks to all those have served, or are currently serving, to ensure the freedoms we continue to enjoy in the USA.

Thanks again to **S. Meadows** and **A Redhead Thing**. They are the wind beneath my wings.

Umm...so, don't be mad, but this chapter is entirely EPOV. I'm sure you'll all be okay with it. He wouldn't shut up. LOL

*~*~*~*~*  
**EPOV**  
When Sookie and I came up for air I surprised her by telling her to pack up so we could go to Bon Temps. The purchase of the old bar by the highway had gone through shortly before I got back to the states, and I couldn't wait to get a look at it.

It was more than seeing the bar though; I wanted to go to Bon Temps because I already thought of the farmhouse as home and I felt a need to spend time there with Sookie. Returning there with her would turn the page and start my new life, and I didn't want to wait four months for that to happen.

We toured the bar, which she had already seen when she sent some digital pictures to Bobby for me. We looked around talking about the changes that needed to be made. To start with, we had to remodel the interior, upgrade the kitchen and the beer taps, and repave the parking lot. The place had definitely seen better days. It had been closed up for several years, and it was clear that old man Egg's hadn't made improvements in the place for many years before that. There were some really cool old bar mirrors that I hoped I could clean and hang behind the bar.

Sookie and I decided to call it the Dog House. It was simple enough that the locals would like it, and had meaning for me. I planned to spread word through the grapevine that all Marines, and especially Devil Dogs, or Recon Marines, were welcome.

While I'd been in Iraq, there had been some major work done on the house. Sookie had remodeled both bathrooms and replaced the water heater, had a new front door installed, updated the kitchen and replaced the windows. When we stayed at the house together after Gran's funeral, the kitchen had been total shock to Sookie. Gran had always cooked a lot of food, and Sookie couldn't believe she'd done it with the stove that took forever to heat up and the refrigerator that groaned to keep food cold. She felt awful that she hadn't realized the things that Gran had ignored or just gotten by with. I loved what she'd done with everything.

She seemed a little nervous as she led me out of the upstairs bathroom, telling me there was one more room she wanted to show me. For a brief second I thought it might be a nursery, but when I saw the rich, wine colored paint on the walls, I knew that wasn't it, but I didn't know what it was. She pulled me through the doorway and I was shocked.

Sookie had created a home office for me that was more than I could have imagined. My varsity jacket was hanging on a hook near the corner, and I shook my head laughing when I saw it there. It was one of those things that I had left with Sookie when we broke up, and I seriously doubted I'd ever see it again. I hadn't thought about that smelly thing in years, but it was great to see it there. I ran my hand down the leather sleeve, thinking about how huge it had looked hanging off of Sookie. I couldn't believe she had kept it.

I tried to take it all in. There was a picture from our wedding on the desk, and she'd framed some of my certificates and photos from the Marines and hung them on the walls as well. I was drawn to the bookshelf where something caught my eye, and I smiled, picking up the ridiculous fake golden ticket to her senior prom. It had been one of those keepsake things that they gave out when you bought your tickets, like a key chain or champagne flute, before they figured out it wasn't kosher to give champagne flutes to minors; and I had teased her mercilessly the night of the prom that we wouldn't get in without our golden ticket.

I turned, and she was still leaning on the door frame, biting her lip. "Sookie, this...this is amazing." I walked over to her and pulled her into my arms. "You picked my favorite things. Thank you so much."

She laughed as I ran my nose along her neck. "You found the golden ticket right away. I bet you thought you'd never see that again."

"You're right." I kissed her just below the ear, and nuzzled the taught skin along her collar bone, moving to the other side of her neck. "You know what I want to do someday?"

"I have no idea, but I'm going to guess it involves getting naked," she teased me as I continued kissing her delicate skin and smoothing my hands over her back, sliding them lower to her ass.

"No, not naked," I whispered. "But the only thing you'll have on is my letter jacket."

"Damn. If we didn't have plans I'd strip for you right now."

I started to raise her shirt. "We're just going to Merlotte's. I'm not in a hurry." I rolled her nipples between my fingers and she moaned.

"Wait. Stop." She grabbed my wrists, trying to pull my hands out from under her shirt. "No really, we need to go."

I wasn't giving up easily. I cupped her sex and she arched into my hand. "But I'm hungry for you." I kissed her hard and heard a whimper.

"Oh God." She put her hands on my chest and pushed.

She was serious. I pulled back. "What's the matter?"

"Shit." She ran her hands through her hair. "Surprise!" She said sarcastically. "Everyone's at Merlotte's for a 'Welcome Home!' party."

"Are you kidding?"

"No." She could have said, 'Duh.' the way it came out.

"I guess we should go then."

"How the hell do you do that?"

"What?" I was already heading to the stairs as her arm stretched out behind me.

"Turn it off like that. I'm melting over here and you just walk away."

"Melting?" I smirked and walked back to her. Bending my knees to even out our heights, I rocked against her, showing her just how _on_ I still was. "It's physically impossible for me to turn off around you. I just keep telling myself how much better it will be later, when you've walked around wet for me all night."

"Eric," she gasped, reaching for my button fly.

"No, Bird. We've got to go." I kissed her sweetly on the nose and stepped away, pulling her behind me.

We walked into Merlotte's and there was a 'Welcome Home' banner behind the bar and red, white, and blue ribbons all over the place. I shook my head, old friends had come out of the woodwork; it was like a high school reunion. I hugged and shook hands with more people than I could count and drank enough beer to float a battleship. We danced, played pool, and my friends begged me to tell stories about my time in Iraq. We reminisced about the 'glory days' and I laughed harder than I had in a long time. Eventually, Sam drove us home and I had to lean on him to get into the house.

I woke in the morning, still in my clothes, stretched out on top of the bed in what I had always called Gran's room, but through the haze of my pounding head, I realized it was our room now. I groaned and felt the bed move next to me and heard Sookie's slow footsteps on the floor. I had closed my eyes again, it was way too bright. I was hoping that the curtains were open, because if it was this bright every morning it wasn't going to work for me.

The smell of coffee wafted through the house, and the bed moved as Sookie climbed on top of it. She lifted one of my eyelids and I slapped at her hand as she giggled.

"It's way too fucking bright in here this morning. We need curtains or something. And you're too fucking cheerful."

She laughed really loudly, or maybe the sound was multiplied by my hangover, and I groaned at the pain in my skull. "Baby, it's eleven o'clock, that's why it's so bright in here."

I sat up, clutching my head. Shit. I hadn't been this hungover in ages, and I certainly hadn't slept this late since attending all night parties at Tulane. Then I realized that that's what we had done the night before. If Sam brought us home, it had been after three o'clock in the morning. "Fuck me." It was more of a mutter, but she understood.

"Oh, I don't think you're ready for that."

I looked over at her with a shit eating grin on her face. "How are you not feeling as bad as I am?"

"You drank way more than I did last night. I walked in here on my own pal. I would never have driven, but I was nowhere near as drunk as you."

I was trying to figure out a smart comment, but my brain was not functioning. I felt her hand on mine and realized she was handing me two Ibuprofen. She gave me a glass of water and then looked at me expectantly.

"No." I knew exactly what she was asking.

"Fine. You'll be miserable all day. It's going to be nice out. I think I'll lie out in the sun."

_Bitch._ Teasing me with thoughts of her in that slip of fabric she called a bikini. "Alright. But no egg."

"The egg's an important ingredient."

"I don't care."

"You want beer in it?"

"Fuck no."

I heard her laugh and then she magically produced a glass of her Gran's hangover cure. It was a disgusting concoction of V-8 juice, Tabasco, a dollop of honey and a splash of orange juice. If you could stomach it, Gran swore it required half a beer and and egg as well.

"What the? How did you know?"

"Seriously, Eric. How many times have we had this exact same conversation? I know you hate it with the egg mixed in, and you only want the beer added if you're alive enough to make it yourself."

I felt better after drinking it, but I still lost the majority of the day recovering. Sookie didn't seem to mind, she enjoyed her sun bathing, and pulled the old hammock out of the shed for me to lie on. After we beat several pounds of dust out of it, I fell asleep swaying in the breeze with the sun on my face. The sun here felt so good, it was like being on a different planet compared to the sun in Iraq.

Over the next couple of days, I talked to contractors, the Liquor Control Board, and the parish building permit clerk to get the ball rolling on the renovations at the Dog House. I managed to accomplish all of my work related things in only a couple hours each day, because although I was excited to get started, I really wanted to spend time with Sookie. She only had a few days off with me, and then I'd be going home, so I wanted to take advantage of every second with her. We stayed up late, talking and watching old movies when we weren't testing out the new mattress that she'd bought while I was gone.

Twinings had taught me a couple more constellations while I was gone, so we looked at the stars from the bench; it had become our special place to stargaze. I wondered if we'd ever be able to sit on the porch swing together again, and decided that one of the first things I would buy when I moved into the farmhouse for good was a new porch swing, free of any bad juju and old memories.

Sookie made me a gigantic breakfast in bed the last morning we were together, and we stayed there, making love and snacking on cold pancakes and fruit until late afternoon. I had a late flight out of New Orleans, and I dragged ass packing a small bag to take back with me. Sookie had gotten quiet, no doubt feeling the same knot in her stomach about my leaving as I did. She wandered away while I finished grabbing some papers from my new office and after I loaded up the car, I found her curled up on our bed.

She wasn't crying, but she was curled around my pillow and I knew she was smelling it.

I sat behind her on the bed. "Bird, we need to get going."

"I know." She mumbled, then stood, took my hand and followed me to the car.

The drive to the airport was quiet, despite my attempts at small talk. I knew she was having a hard time, and I was pretty depressed myself, but I saw the light at the end of the tunnel. I checked in at the airport and she walked with me as far as she could.

"Are you going to be okay to drive?"

She exhaled loudly. I knew she was trying to hold it together. She nodded her head and looked up at me. When our eyes met, she looked so sad, it was breaking my heart.

"It's okay, Sookie. I'll see you in a month. That's nothing."

"I know. I just don't want you to go." Her voice cracked on the end of the sentence, and she couldn't hold back her tears.

"Bird."

"I know." She said more forcefully. "Really, I know. I can't help it."

I put my arms around her and sighed, stroking her hair. "You know I don't want to go."

"I know. Shit. I keep saying that. I don't mean to make it any harder on you. I'm holding back, really, cuz there's this voice in my head begging you not to leave me and I've managed to not blurt that out. Oh hell. I said it."

I smirked at her and she shook her head, laughing sadly.

"I'm not _leaving_ you. That's not happening, ever again, but I have to go back to Jacksonville right now. You're going to be busy with work; time is going to fly by. I'll see you in a few weeks."

She nodded. "You're right."

"I'm going to go through security, and I'm not looking back, I can't." I saw fresh tears fill her eyes, as I repeated what she'd told me in Thailand when she got on her plane.

"I understand. I'm going to walk away. I can't watch you."

"I love you, Sookie. I'll be home for good soon."

"I love you."

"Ready?"

"No."

I kissed her one last time, glad that I'd thought to get to the airport early enough for our goodbye.

"Ready?" I repeated.

"On three."

"You're so funny. Okay." We grinned at each other and counted to three, then turned and walked in opposite directions. I lied though, because after a few steps I looked over my shoulder, and I could just barely see her blond hair in a sea of people as she moved farther away from me. I rubbed a hand over my face; it was going to be a long couple of months.

00oo00oo00

I was a little out of sorts my first few weeks back in Jacksonville. I felt lost, like there was something I needed to be doing, or somewhere I needed to go. I missed Sookie and I wanted to be with her, and for the first time in years, I wasn't thinking about my next tour, or the next mission. All of the gear I was stowing away wouldn't need to be repacked and dragged back to the desert ever again.

I spent most of my nights on the phone with Sookie, or with Thalia going over plans for the Spear. Sookie was working long hours and covering on-call shifts for coworkers, which I felt bad about, but it would allow her the time to come visit for one long weekend each month. It didn't seem like much, but I would take it.

I'd been spending a lot of time with Cal and Soph as well. It was strange thinking that in a few months they wouldn't be minutes away from me. For the last eight years, I'd rarely been apart from one of them. They had been an important part of my life, I was feeling a little panicky at leaving them, which made Soph laugh for hours.

The only thing that hadn't changed was the Marine Corps. I went back to my daily routine and it didn't seem to matter at all that I only had a few months left. The Corps is a well oiled machine and things continuously move forward, regardless of one Marine's contract ending. It was ironic; after four tours practically back to back, now that I was done, there was no tour in sight for my unit. It wasn't enough to make me want to stay in another twelve years, but it was kind of funny.

Sookie's first weekend visit flew by. She got in late on Thursday and over the weekend we spent a lot of time in bed, quite a while in the shower, and a few hours with Cal and Soph for dinner and cards. Before I knew it, I was getting dressed on Monday morning, while she finished in the bathroom so she could drive to the airport. She had stopped talking and I knew she was starting to get depressed about being apart again.

I tied my boots and leaned against the counter next to her. "We're only going to do this two more times. Then I'll be in Bon Temps and you'll get sick of me. You'll love it when I come up to Jacksonville for business at the Spear so you can have some time to yourself."

"I don't believe you." She tried to pout, but she was laughing.

"I love you. Call me when you start to drive home from the airport?"

"I will."

I kissed her and headed out, hating that she had to leave.

A little more than a month later, she was coming back, and I had a much better plan for our time. We weren't running errands, grocery shopping, or anything that would suck up our time. I'd done everything I could before she arrived. She'd worked a half day, then driven to New Orleans to catch a flight and drove the rest of the way in a rental car. I knew she would be exhausted by the time she made it to the apartment. I had the bathtub filled up when she arrived.

I smiled when I heard her coming up the stairs. It was amazing to me that the sound of her coming home made my heart beat faster. I think because I'd been gone, I was still in the honeymoon phase. Just like when we were in Thailand, whenever I thought of her as my wife and she was close by, I had to touch her. Tonight was no different, I had her sitting on the kitchen counter and we were both naked in minutes.

"Who's the anxious one now?" She teased.

"Do you want me to stop?" She pulled my face tighter against her breast, "I'll take that as a no."

She gasped as I ran my hands up the inside of her thighs, spreading her legs and stepping between them. Her hands skimmed down my chest, her fingers outlining my ribs before they moved around to cup my ass. She put one foot on the counter and drew me closer, rubbing herself against my erection. Her skin was warm and the scent of her arousal was intoxicating as we rocked against each other.

I hadn't meant for this to happen; in the back of my head I thought about the bath water getting cold, then she pulled my hair, drawing me to her mouth for a kiss. The hair pulling was one thing, but when she bit my lip, I was done for.

Reaching between us, I aligned myself and pushed into her slowly. We both sighed, watching her body take me all the way in. I closed my eyes, relishing the feeling for a moment, before I began thrusting into her. Her fingernails dug into my back as she moved her hips in time with mine. We were panting and gasping for breath; unable to get close enough to each other even when I was buried inside her. We moved frantically, crying out incoherently until her body clamped down on me, pulsing around my cock. I slowed, gritting my teeth, making long hard strokes until my body drew tight, and I growled in her ear as I came.

I leaned on her, catching my breath, and finally pulled a bar stool over to perch my ass on, with my arms around her waist and my head against her stomach, while I recovered.

"So. Happy to see me?"

"Shit. Yeah. I ran you a bath."

"It's probably cold." She ran her hands over my shoulders and I shivered.

"We have more hot water."

"Yeah?" Her hands moved into my hair.

"Yeah. We have fruit and cheese too." I placed light kisses on her belly.

"Really? What Martha Stewart magazine did I leave here for you to come up with that?"

"The Playboy one." I half mumbled, joking.

"Oh, nice." She laughed, making her breasts shake right in front of my face.

"The articles are great."

"That's such bullshit." She grabbed my hands and grinned, looking down at me. "Let me go warm up the bath. Join me with snacks and drinks?"

"That was the original plan."

She hopped off the counter and began gathering her clothes, then headed towards the bathroom, looking over her shoulder. "Coming?"

I raised an eyebrow. Did she really need to ask? It was going to be a great fucking weekend.

**A/N:**  
Umm...so, favor to ask. I only need 14 reviews to join the 1,000 Year Old Viking Club (That's slang for having 1,000 reviews). I feel all giddy, yet freakishly unworthy. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing. Ya'll rock!


	25. Seeing Red

**Title: Leap of Faith  
Chapter 25: Seeing Red  
Disclaimer: I don't own the Southern Vampire characters or stories. All copyright belongs to Charlaine Harris. I just take them out of the box to play.**

**A/N:**  
Ohmygod,ohmygod! Squee! Lucifer's bouncing balls you rock! I'm soooo far over 1,000 reviews it's crazy! Thank you so much!

A gazillion thanks to **JulieKohler** for emailing me details about the Marine Corps Ball and pictures from past balls she has attended with her Marine to help me get this chapter right! I used a lot of her comments in the details. She even preread for me, to make sure I didn't get anything really wrong. I can't thank her enough!

Thanks as always, but never enough, to **S. Meadows** and **A Redhead Thing**. They are the bombdiggity, and that's putting it mildly.

A couple little tidbits for this chapter: 1) cuz I don't want to break up the text - POW (Prisoner of War) and MIA (Missing in Action) - they are mentioned in a ceremony - it does not apply to any characters in this fic. LOL and 2) there are pictures to Sookie's dress in the A/N at the bottom.

Read on my friends, and as Eric would say, "GET SOME!"

*~*~*~*~*  
**SPOV**  
I tried to distract myself as the plane began to taxi for takeoff. I was flying to North Carolina for the last time, well the last time without Eric. The Marine Corps Ball was this weekend, and I couldn't believe how fast the time had gone. The ball was the last milestone before Eric would finish with the Marines; he only had three more weeks after this, and then he was fully and completely, mine.

I had been talking with Soph and Thalia for months about the ball, since before Eric got home even, trying to figure out what I was going to wear. When Soph first asked me if I'd been looking for a dress, I thought she was crazy.

"Isn't the ball in November? I haven't even thought about it."

She looked at Thalia, then back at me. "Sookie, has Eric told you anything about the ball? Like, what it's for, or what you should wear?"

"He said I needed a ball gown. Actually," I laughed. "He said I needed a dress, but he didn't know what to call it."

Soph snorted. "Sounds like him."

"It's a big deal Sookie," Thalia sighed. "It's the annual birthday party for the Marines. You have to find a dress that will compliment his uniform, but not steal the show."

"Yes," Soph agreed. "Exactly. It doesn't seem like it would be that hard, but it's not like you can just go buy a prom dress. It needs to be formal, but not pageanty-"

"Or slutty." Thalia added.

"Right. You want a sophisticated, or classic look. The color needs to look good with his dress blues, and it needs to look good on you, but you can't look better than him. So actually, you're kind of limited in what you can wear."

I looked at each of them; they were serious. "Um...okay. Is there somewhere I should start looking? I mean, is there a store you recommend?"

Soph laughed. "No, but you need to start looking."

"Is there anything else I need to know?"

"The ball is like a combination of your high school prom and graduation," Thalia laughed. "But with cocktails. There's nothing like it."

00oo00oo00oo00  
I unlocked the apartment, expecting Eric to be there waiting for me as he'd been each time I had come to visit, but he wasn't there. The TV was on, but I didn't see him sitting in the living room.

"Eric?" There was no answer.

I hefted my garment bag up, hanging it on the bedroom door and saw that Eric wasn't in there either. The bathroom was open; it was empty too. What the hell? I sighed and walked to the kitchen, wondering if he'd gone down to the bar. I grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge, and as the door shut I heard a startled snore. I tried not to giggle, and walked over to the back of the couch and peered down. Sure enough, my gorgeous husband was sound asleep, with his mouth half open, and television remote in hand.

Shaking my head, I went back to the kitchen and put the dishes in the dishwasher, closed up a box of crackers and put them away, then wiped down the counter top before going to the bathroom to get ready for bed. It was only 10:30 p.m., but I'd had a long day traveling, and clearly Eric was done for the night.

I pulled the remote from his hand and turned the television off. Kneeling down next to him, I leaned in and kissed his forehead. His eyes opened and he smiled.

"Hey."

"It's a good thing you're done in the Marines if a noisy girl like me can sneak up on you."

"I woke up when you came in, but I fell asleep again waiting for you to find me."

"That's your story?" I laughed.

"And I'm sticking to it." He smiled and reached over, pulling me into his arms for a kiss. He sighed, "Mmmm. You smell good."

"So do you." I stood and pulled on his hands. "Let's go to bed."

"Mmm. Let's." He still sounded groggy, and I laughed, Eric's mind was always on sex. I swear, he would have sex with me in his sleep if he could.

"To sleep, champ. I'll take a rain check."

He laughed and stood, pulling my back against his chest and nuzzling the crook of my neck with his nose. "I love you."

Eric walked me to the bedroom and we climbed under the covers. I pulled his arm over me and snuggled it to my chest. His breathing evened out, and he was asleep in seconds.

I woke up in the morning, trapped under the dead weight of Eric, who was on his side, covering me with one of his arms and a leg. I tried to roll out from under him, and he tensed, using both limbs to hold me against him.

"Where are you going?" he mumbled.

"I have an appointment for a manicure and pedicure this morning with Soph and Thalia."

"Are you kidding me?"

"No," I laughed. "What's up?"

"You've been here less than twelve hours and you're leaving me again?"

"Oh, poor baby. I might get something waxed while I'm there, does that make it better?"

"Oh fuck." He groaned, and I felt his erection nudge my backside. "I'll go make the coffee."

I showered and blow dried my hair, not worrying about styling it, because I knew I was going to take another shower in the afternoon before the ball. I could hear Eric talking in the other room, and his words became clear when I walked into the common area.

"Well I didn't know they got all crazy like this. I've gone stag every time I've gone to the ball. I know, she told me the other day it took her months to find a dress. Hang on, Cal," He moved the phone away from his mouth to talk to me. "Sook, I poured your coffee and toasted you a bagel."

I smiled, walking over to give him a quick kiss, and picked up my breakfast. I heard him go back to his conversation as I walked out the door.

I met Soph and Thalia at the day spa, and we sat next to each other in the pedicure chairs, surrounded by other Marine wives and girlfriends preparing for the ball as well. I had refused to tell Eric about my dress, saying that all he needed to know was that Soph approved.

Between my pedi and mani, I paid a visit to the aesthetician for a Brazilian wax. I had started getting waxed in high school as my bikini bottoms had gotten smaller, and sexier. I liked the feeling of being smooth, and I knew Eric liked it too. But over the years that we'd been apart, I'd become pretty slack about getting waxed. Your grooming habits definitely slip when you're single for long periods of time. I looked at myself in the mirror before getting redressed, and smiled. I felt younger and sexier, and I couldn't wait for Eric's reaction. When I came back into the main area of the spa, Thalia waggled her eyebrows at me and Soph grinned, she had the next appointment for a wax.

When I got back to the apartment, I found a note from Eric, "Out for a run. Back soon." I made lunch and was just sitting down to eat, when he came through the door, shirtless, and gleaming with sweat. I looked him up and down, then swallowed hard.

"Oh no you don't."

"What?" I said, trying to clear my mind of naked pictures of us together.

"You don't get to look at me like that now. We don't have time. We could have fit it in this morning, but now we need to go."

"Really? I thought we were just checking in to the hotel. Are we in a hurry?"

He leaned against the breakfast bar; I struggled to keep my eyes on his face and not his sculpted chest. "We aren't in a hurry, but here's the thing, once I get you underneath me, I won't be letting you up for a while, and we don't have time for that."

"Oh." Sometimes he could just suck the words out of my head.

"So, I'm getting in the shower, alone, and you're going to finish packing. Then we'll hit the road."

I nodded at him, my brain stuck on the part where he was going to have me beneath him, for a while.

We took the Vette to New Bern. During the drive, Eric told me what to expect at the ball. It was sweet, even though I'd heard most of it from Soph and Thalia earlier in the day.

"After we check in, we can shower and get ready, have a couple of drinks, and then walk over to the convention center. There's a cocktail reception and a photographer to have your pictures taken like you get at prom. Then there's a guest speaker and dinner, and we can dance a while before we head back to the hotel for the party part."

"Party part?"

"Yeah, well, we're all on our best behaviors, sort of, when we're at the ball. Then we can go to the hotel and cut loose."

"Where in that itinerary is the Sookie has hot sex with her husband part?"

Eric laughed loudly. "Well, that part is whenever you want, well, except for when we're at the actual ball. That wouldn't go over well."

I smiled at him. "Well then, I'll surprise you."

"You usually do."

We were staying within walking distance of the convention center with most of Eric's friends. When we got to the hotel the lobby was full of other couples and a number of single men checking in as well. Eric said hello to a few people and I kept hearing people say, "Happy Birthday, Marine." After someone said it to Eric, I turned to him and raised my eyebrow.

"You know the ball is to celebrate the Marine Corps birthday, right? So, it's sort of all of our birthday tonight."

"Oh, yeah. That makes sense."

He continued, telling me more about what to expect. There would be a ceremony for dinner where the band would play the Marine Corps hymn and the colors, which I knew meant the American flag, would be carried in to the room between two rows of Marines standing with their sabers out to protect the colors. As part of the ceremony, the cake would be brought in and the guest of honor would be escorted in by the commanding officer. Eric said there would be a lot of standing and sitting for all of the Marines, but they tried to move things along as fast as possible.

Eric carried our things to the room, and I waited until he had hung the garment bags before I pounced on him, pushing him down on the bed. We were laughing and kissing, teasing each other, and then it changed. He kissed me hard, and suddenly we were tugging at each others clothes, struggling to get our bodies flesh to flesh. It seemed like we were always frantically attacking each other like this, and I certainly wasn't complaining, but I was looking forward to the days when we weren't always missing each other and feeling desperate for our bodies to connect.

We had gotten our shirts off, and I was pulling my bra straps down my arms when I felt his hands on my zipper. His mouth seemed to follow his fingers, kissing my waist, then down, as he revealed my skin. I should have known when I teased him about getting waxed that he'd go straight there to investigate. Now that I thought about it, I was surprised we made it to New Bern without him at least copping a feel, and then I stopped thinking all together. His fingers slid under the silk of my thong, just long enough for him to realize I'd really done it. Then he was yanking my panties off, licking and kissing my newly bare skin.

"So beautiful," he murmured, as he spread my folds with his thumbs. Then his tongue was lapping at the wetness that had pooled there and I was in ecstasy.

My back arched and my hands went to his hair as his tongue and fingers worked me, circling and pumping, driving me to release. I was gasping for breath as he moved up my body, pausing to worship my breasts until I pulled at his hair, bringing him up to kiss me. I tasted myself as I stroked my tongue in and out of his mouth. I was trying to get his pants off, simultaneously working at the zipper and rubbing myself against his thigh, and he finally pushed my hands out of the way to do it himself. He shoved his pants down, and my hands moved between us reaching for him. My eyes rolled back, and I groaned at the feel of his hard length and the heat coming off his body.

He turned his head, placing small kisses behind my ear and down my neck. We were stroking each other, rocking our hips and beginning to breathe heavy. His teeth scraped along my skin, nipping at my pulse, and I cried out, guiding him to my center.

My breath caught as he stretched me, and I bit my lip. "Yes. Oh god. Fuck." I didn't say it on purpose, but as soon as the word 'fuck' left my mouth, I heard Eric growl and I knew I had pushed him over the edge.

He began pounding into me, moving hard and fast. He hitched one of my legs up higher, changing the angle he entered me, but never slowed down. My nerves were on fire, and he was relentless, thrusting his hips and pressing on my clit. I could feel my body tightening around him, and I bit his shoulder to muffle a scream as I came.

"Fuck. So tight. Ung. Oh fuck." His back arched, pushing himself as far inside of me as he could go, then threw his head back as he came, pulsing inside me.

He rested briefly, then moved off of me, flopping onto his back with an arm over his eyes. I rolled over on my side, needing to touch him, and put my hand on his chest and my leg over one of his. We were sticky and sweaty, still breathing heavy, and I was glad we had driven down to the hotel early. A little while later, I knew I needed to get in the shower or I was going to fall asleep; that or be ravaged again.

I started to pull away from him and he mumbled something incoherent.

"What was that?"

He cleared his throat,but didn't move his arm from covering his eyes. "I said; I'm not finished with you."

I laughed, which finally made him look at me. "I'm getting in the shower, so if you're not finished you better come with me. Otherwise, you're cut off until after we get pictures taken."

He smirked. "So, between pictures and dinner, you're fair game?"

"Not any more," I said, lightly slapping his cheek before moving off the bed and going into the bathroom. Eric joined me a few minutes later; I knew he couldn't resist shower sex.

We made love under the spray of the water, then washed each other slowly, turning the water temperature down to cool off. Eric got out and dried off while I washed my hair. He went into the bedroom area while I finished getting ready in the bathroom. At one point, I heard Cal and at least one other guy talking with Eric, and the distinct sound of ice being put into glasses.

I cracked the door, and they were all still lounging in shorts and t-shirts. I hated them for how easy it was for guys to get ready for formal events; when all was said and done it would take me several hours to get ready.

I was just finishing my hair when I heard Eric and Cal yell in unison, "What the fuck are you doing? Throw that away."

I peeked out again to see what was going on and had to laugh. Twinings was holding the screw top for a fifth of vodka and looking like he'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"You know the fucking rules." Cal shook his head. "Throw the cap away. You will not need it again tonight, and if it looks like you will, I will pour the rest of that vodka down your fucking gullet."

They all laughed, and I wondered if they were serious. I got the impression Twinings wasn't sure either. Cal poured a round of shots and I felt a little better, at least they didn't expect him to drink the entire bottle by himself. Eric brought me a gin and tonic, and I finished getting ready.

Still wearing my robe, I joined the guys in the in the room for a drink, and Cal and Twinings called Soph and Jessica to join us. Jessica was doing well after her miscarriage; she told us that they were already discussing trying to get pregnant again. All eyes turned to Eric and me, silently wondering if we were trying. Jessica had the balls to come out right out and ask us.

Eric shrugged and said, "We'll keep you posted." It was vague enough to not give anything away, but enough of an answer to shut her up.

Eric and I were both surprised at how soon after we got married the questions about getting pregnant had started, and had decided that our lack of contraception was nobodies business but our own.

We relaxed with everyone for about half an hour, drinking and laughing, and after a final round of shots for the guys, everyone went back to their own rooms to get dressed.

Eric put on his blues in the room while I changed into my dress on in the bathroom. He didn't know what my dress looked like, just that it was red. Soph and Thalia had been right when they told me it was hard to find a dress. I didn't want to be too plain or too flashy, and I had to find something that still looked good on my figure. The dress I decided on was a little more glamorous than I had been looking for, but I loved it, and both Soph and Thalia said it would be fine. It had a lightly gathered bustline and beaded straps that drew attention towards my, let's just say assets, and wrapped around to criss-cross in the back. The skirt was floor length and had just enough body to sway as I moved.

I opened the door to go back into our room, and froze at the site of Eric bent over to tie his shoes. He heard the door open and turned to me, his fingers fumbling as he looked me up and down. I was excited to go to the ball, and I knew it meant a lot to Eric, but in that moment, I wouldn't have cared if he tore the dress off me and threw me on the bed. And I have to admit, I did briefly think about what he would look with a ring of red lipstick around the base of his cock, but I somehow managed to pull my mind out of the gutter. He looked amazing. Those damn dress blues multiplied his hotness factor by at least ten.

"You look beautiful."

I smirked, and probably blushed a little. "You look good too. I can't tell you the number of times I've dreamed about you in your dress uniform."

He walked towards me, caressing me with his eyes, and I was seriously trying to figure out if we could have sex standing up without wrinkling my dress or screwing up my hair and makeup before we went down to the ball. He put a hand on my hip and kissed me, just to the side of my lips, knowing better than to ruin the lipstick I had just put on.

Stepping forward, his hands slid over my ass and pressed our bodies together while his eyes looked straight into my soul. "I've been dreaming about you in nothing at all."

"Mmm," I sighed as he ran his fingers along the beaded neckline.

He placed a gentle kiss below my ear and leaned back. "Ready?"

I closed my eyes and inhaled, hoping that a deep, cleansing breath would slow my racing pulse. Eric's hands moved to my wrists, his thumbs rubbing circles over the backs of my hands. When I opened my eyes, he was grinning back at me. _Bastard._ "Let's go."

We made our way to over to the conference center, it was a short walk, even in heels. We milled about, chatting with his friends and sipping drinks during the reception hour.

As I looked around, I was quite pleased with the dress I was wearing. Some of the younger women were dressed in gaudy pageant gowns or slutty prom dresses, while there were a few older women had on dresses that you could tell had, at one time, been bridesmaid dresses.

As we waited for the dinner hour to arrive, we made sort of a loop of the reception area, talking with different people, and hearing "Happy Birthday Marine!" called out around us. We came to a far corner and I smiled. There was, in fact, a photographer set up, taking posed pictures of couples.

Eric raised an eyebrow at me and I laughed. "Why not?"

We waited in line, then posed, with Eric standing behind me with his arms around my waist. While we waited for Cal and Soph to get their pictures taken as well, Eric got us another round of drinks. We continued chatting with them, saying hello to their friends and other Marine wives until it was time to take our seats and Eric led me into the ballroom. He walked us past an empty that he explained would remain vacant to recognize fellow Marines considered POW's or MIA's. I was touched by the simple gesture that spoke volumes about honor and respect.

When everyone was seated, they began the ceremony that Eric had described earlier. Then an officer gave a blessing and the cake was cut, which seemed totally odd to me since we hadn't eaten yet. They gave the first piece of cake to the guest of honor, and then what was really cool; they gave a piece of caked to both the oldest and youngest Marines in attendance. The guest of honor gave a short speech, then the colors were retired and the Marines who had been standing at attention guarding it marched out, and dinner was served.

The DJ began playing while we ate, and people started to take the dance floor as they finished their meals. It was like a testosterone fueled wedding reception, with the large cake and a room full of Marine's, alcohol and music.

The DJ played a good mix of music including a few slow songs, and I danced with Eric for all but one, when we traded partners so I danced with Cal and he danced with Soph. I hadn't slow danced with Eric since we went to a wedding together in college, and it was heavenly. He had one arm around me, while his other hand entwined with mine, resting near my heart. My head rested against his chest; my eyes closed, and we swayed to the music.

The music picked up for a while, playing classic all-American party songs, like, "Shout!," "Mony Mony," and "Celebration." We were all out of breath from dancing, and I had long since taken off my shoes, when "The Lady in Red," started playing. It was sweet; at least a quarter of the women in the room were wearing red gowns, and Eric took me in his arms again to dance. The music played and I moved my mouth to they lyrics, watching other women dancing doing the same thing, as Chris De Burgh sang,

_"The lady in red is dancing with me cheek to cheek  
There's nobody here, it's just you and me,  
It's where I wanna be,  
But I hardly know this beauty by my side  
I'll never for get, the way you look tonight." _

The song finished, and Eric leaned down, kissing me sweetly. I sighed, and stepped back, taking his hand. "Ready to go?" I certainly was. I wanted to get out of my dress, have a moment or two alone with him, and party with our friends.

He smirked and nodded. His eyes were dark, I knew he was thinking the same things I was about having some alone time, and he led me from the dance floor.

We said a few goodbyes, which were really more like, 'see you back at the hotel,' and headed out. I had crammed my feet back into my shoes, and couldn't wait to change into some jeans and sandals. We held hands, Eric's thumb caressing my skin the way he always did, and walked in the moonlight.

oo00oo00oo  
**A/N:**  
Oh, Marine Eric. I will almost be sad when you're done in the Marine's. Please bring your dress blues home so you can role play with Sookie later. Kthnxbai.  
Thanks so much for your support through this fic. I am still bowled over by the response. Big Viking hugs and kisses to all!

New Bern Convention Center.  
http:/www(DOT)newbernconventions(DOT)com/

Red Charmeuse V-neck Dress by Favianna 6568  
http:/yfrog(DOT)com/7glofballdressj  
http:/yfrog(DOT)com/6flofballgowndetailonfronj  
http:/yfrog(DOT)com/6flofballdressslouchybackj


	26. There's No Such Thing as an ExMarine

**Title: Leap of Faith  
Chapter 26: There's No Such Thing as an Ex-Marine  
Disclaimer: I don't own the Southern Vampire characters or stories. All copyright belongs to Charlaine Harris. I just take them out of the box to play.**

**A/N:**  
Thanks again to** JulieKohler** the details about the Marine Corps Ball.

OMG- Marines in dress blues at night? YES ebm1 pointed out in her review that every Friday in the summer there's a Marine Evening Parade in DC. If I was closer, I would soooo be there! http:/www(dot)mbw(dot)usmc(dot)mil/parade_eveningdefault(dot)asp

I think **yo-diggity-yo-yo** is taking a leave of absence from this story, which is TOTALLY understandable, BUT the crazy girl has posted her own one shot E/S Marine fic, which you have to read, cuz her husband just deployed - on her birthday. GAH. Anyway - go read: Where is my Kevlar?- http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/6020552/1/Where_is_my_Kevlar

**OH! A reviewer asked for a picture of Marines in dress blues - here's a picture **A Redhead Thing** found on google: http:/yfrog(dot)com/7dmarinebluesj

Last but not least, really more like most, thanks to my girls **S. Meadows** and **A Redhead Thing**. I love them to infinity and beyond!

*~*~*~*~*  
**EPOV  
**The entire day had been kind of surreal. Having Sookie here, at her first and my last ball made things interesting. I was taking everything in for the last time, and she was awed by her first experience with a Marine event. Even though it was a ball, things were well organized and on a schedule, the Marines were nothing if not a well oiled machine, even at functions like these.

Sookie had found a dress that looked perfect on her and was just right for the ball. I was glad Soph and Thalia had helped her find it; I couldn't have explained to her what to look for. She looked beautiful,, and she had been lucky to get out of the room without me ravaging her, literally.

When she stepped out of the bathroom in that red dress, I wanted to hike it up around her waist and take her against the wall. She always looked fuckhot to me, but the damn dress had a beaded neckline drawing my eyes to her breasts, and she was wearing heels that made her legs look incredible. I was definitely going to enjoy taking that dress off her later.

We were standing in the lobby, having just finished with the photographer, when it was time to go into the banquet room and find our table. We walked past the vacant table for POW's and MIA's and I explained it to Sookie, after I'd said a silent prayer in my head for the Marine's this table honored.

Reaching the table that we shared with Cal, Soph and two other couples from our unit, we took our seats. The colors were presented shortly after we sat down, and I felt a lump in my throat. I was surprised by my feelings, but they were natural I supposed. I was ready to move on with Sookie, but being Marine had been an important part of my life, and it was hard watching the ceremony, knowing it was my last time here as a Marine. In reality, I would always be a Marine, and I had been a damn good one, but it was time to go.

The ceremony continued while I was lost in my thoughts. I remembered meeting Cal the first week I was in South Carolina, finishing Recon School, leaving for my first tour, the never ending heat of the desert, and missions, good and bad, that I would never be able to forget. The Guest of Honor finished his speech; he was a retired Marine that had a show on T.V. and did some consulting on military movies for Hollywood. His speech was meant to be motivational, but I hadn't heard most of it.

We ate a wonderful dinner, talking and laughing, telling our wives stories about our previous tours and practical jokes. The music had started, and the prom component of the evening was about to begin. The men would hit the dance floor for a while, only because they were liquored up, dancing both fast and slow with their wives. Then there would be a turning point, where people wanted to go back to the hotel to have drinks with their friends and sneak away with their significant others.

I had forgotten how much I enjoyed dancing with Sookie until I took her in my arms. Our height difference made it so she rested her head on my chest, not my shoulder, and it always seemed like she was listening to my heart as we swayed. We danced to some faster songs, like we were at a wedding, and I was glad that I had been drinking. I was a tall man, all limbs and although I had rhythm, it wasn't all that pretty when I fast danced. The music cycled through, fast, slow, fast slow, and I danced with both Soph and Sookie.

Another slow song came on, and I pulled Sook into my arms, thinking that I was ready to go whenever she was. We had experienced the ball together, and I had said goodbyes to some people that I might not see in the next few weeks, but most importantly, the night had given a feeling of closure, or finality, in terms of my career as a Marine. With this night behind me, I was truly ready to be done. The next few weeks were going to fly by, and then my life would be my own, well, Sookie's and mine. She was really the only thing in my future that mattered. Everything else could fall apart, but I knew without a shadow of a doubt that we could get through it if we were together.

We swayed to the music, her body molding against mine as I held her. We danced to an old 80's song, the Lady in Red. I couldn't remember who sang it, but they played it at every ball because it was romantic and so many of the women wore red dresses.

As the song played, Sookie's body shifted against mine, her breasts teasing my chest and her belly rubbing against my arousal. Dancing had become torture. I needed to get her out of that dress. The final notes of the song played, and I gave Sookie a squeeze, kissing the top of her head. She squeezed back, and then took a step back and looked up at me. I shouldn't have been surprised to see that the lust in her eyes matched mine.

She took my hand, "Ready to go?"

I decided that 'Fuck yes' was not the appropriate answer, but couldn't form any other words, so I smirked and nodded. I was more than ready to go, and more than ready to strip that gorgeous dress off of her.

We made our way out of the banquet room, stopping to say goodbye to a few people; and telling a few more that we'd see them back at the hotel. Small groups and couples began leaving the conference center, walking towards their hotels. Sookie had put her heels back on to walk outside. It looked painful, the way she crammed her tired feet into her heels, but they still looked sexy as hell.

I took her hand and we walked toward our hotel, bathed in moonlight.

We rode in the elevator with Twinings and Jessica; they pawed at each other like teenagers in heat and Sookie turned her head trying not to laugh. They stepped off the elevator, pausing in their make out session long enough to tell us they would see us in a while. As soon as the doors closed behind them, Sookie burst out laughing.

"Oh my god! I wanted to say, 'Get a room!' but they already have one! That was just, eeww. I saw his tongue. Gah."

I laughed at her reaction, because really, he was only doing to his wife the things I wanted to do to Sookie, I was just waiting until we got to the room. Sookie's laughter and the look on her face were irresistible.

Giving up, I pressed her against the wall of the elevator, my hands were on either side of her head and my hips tight against her belly as I kissed her. I heard the elevator door open, but it seemed far away. I tried to step back, but Sookie was holding me close and matching my ferocity as she returned the kiss. I stretched back, thankful for my long arms, and was able to hold the door open.

I dragged my lips away from hers, and stepped back. We were both panting, but I managed to say, "Room."

She nodded, and I led her by the hand out of the elevator and down the hall.

Sookie had her shoes off before the door was closed, and I painstakingly unhooked the buttons to take off my jacket, which the Marines actually called a blouse. She watched me finish with the buttons, it took forever to get that thing off, and we smiled across the room at each other.

Then she walked over to the bed where I stood, turned around, and looked over her shoulder at me. "Unzip me?"

I moved behind her, reaching down to gather her skirt as I slid my hands up her thighs to her waist. Leaning forward, I moved her hair over her shoulder and whispered in her ear, "What's the hurry, lover?"

Sookie shivered at my words and her head dropped back towards my chest.

"I'm going to fuck you in this dress." I loved the way that dirty talk turned her on.

She whimpered, and I walked us forward, so she could brace herself against the wall.

I stripped my white undershirt off and pulled the rest of her skirt up around her waist, pressing her back down so she was leaning slightly and the dress hung down in front of her. I slid my hands over her hips and took in the sight of her red thong. Her underwear had been the source of fantasies while I'd been gone, thinking about her gorgeous ass with nothing but a tiny scrap of lace between her cheeks. It was a hell of an image, but she looked better with nothing on. I pulled at the fabric, ripping the sides open, then slid the satin out from between her legs and dropped it beside us.

I opened my fly, releasing my erection, which strained towards her. Closing the distance between us, my cock brushed against her back. Pushing my leg between her thighs, I nudged her legs apart.

"Fuck. You're so hot." I was reverting to a caveman, running out of words and reduced to primal urges. I reached one hand forward, running my fingers through her wetness, and stroked myself in anticipation with my other hand.

"Eric," she breathed, looking back at me. "Please."

That was all I needed to hear. With one smooth motion, I filled her. We both sighed, and after a heartbeat, I began to move. My hips churned behind her, crashing against her soft curves as she pushed back against me. Our bodies moved together; finding the perfect rhythm. I was sweating and breathing heavily, when I felt her body start to tighten around me as I continued pushing into her fast and hard. I kept one hand on her hip holding her dress up and slid my other hand to her front and rubbed circles around her clit.

Sookie arched her back, crying out. "Ohmygod yes."

I was so close. My balls pulled up and my chest tightened as her muscles started to pulse around me. I began pulling out to the tip, then burying myself to the hilt. It only took seconds, and as I felt the final ripple of her orgasm, I drove into her, shooting my release with a growl.

Wrapping my arms around her, she straightened, and we stood together, panting. I lightly kissed the back of her neck and shoulder, waiting for my pulse rate to return to normal.

She tilted her head, giving me more access to her neck, then reached back, putting a hand on my hip. "Eric," she laughed. "I need to lie down. My legs are like jelly."

I chuckled. "Give me a second, I don't think I can move yet, but I've got you. I won't let you fall."

"That was...I don't think there's a word for what that was," she said as she squeezed my hip. I think it was the only thing she was capable of at that point.

"That was fanfuckingtastic."

She giggled. "That about covers it."

I felt like my senses had returned enough to move us. I hitched my pants up enough to walk, and kept an arm around her waist as we took a few steps to the bed. I undid the short zipper at her waist and looked at the crisscrossed halter top of the dress. "I have no idea how to get you out of this dress, bird."

Sookie smirked, her eyes laughing at me, and reached up to her shoulders, lifting the straps over her head, then stepped out of the dress. She watched as I kicked off my shoes and let my pants fall to the floor.

"We don't need to go out there yet, do we?"

God, I fucking loved her. "No, Sook. The party will go on all night."

"Good. Then take your socks off and come here, I want to get you underneath me."

"Using my words against me?" I raised an eyebrow at her. "That's pretty fucking ninja, Sookie."

She climbed up the bed, her amazing ass wiggling as she crawled. "My husband's a Recon Marine, he taught me to be sneaky."

"You are so full of shit," I laughed, she'd been sneaky before we ever started dating.

"But you love me, now get up here, Marine."

"Yes Ma'am," I said as I climbed up and stretched out next to her.

00oo00oo00oo00

**SPOV**  
When we finally made it out down the hall to the party in Victor's room, it was in full swing. Like us, everyone had changed into casual clothes and looked much more relaxed. People were handing Eric drinks and shots and others were shouting at him, "Happy Birthday, Marine!" or "Get some!" Marines were drinking like it was going out of style, doing shots, guzzling beer from bongs and stabbing cans with pens to shotgun them. I felt like I'd stepped into the movie Animal House.

I must have looked a little overwhelmed, because Soph came to my rescue.

"Sookie! Let's go make a drink in our room while these animals ply your husband with liquor."

She led me down the hall to their room and I snickered at the hastily made bed. No wonder they were partying in a single Marine's room, all the married guys had gotten laid before they joined the party.

"Okay, so remember the party after you guys got married?"

I nodded.

"That was minor league compared to this. Everyone is going to get shitty drunk and you're probably going to have to drive home tomorrow. Oh, and they're going to tell a million stories, smoke cigars and try to practical joke each other."

"Nice. So it will be a long night?"

"Yes," she laughed.

We joined the party down the hall and I was transported in my mind back to Tulane. Eric was in a group of guys playing quarter bounce. He looked up at me and winked. He was a master at that game; he had been since before we started dating.

The hotel was really cool about the partying. It was noisy, as only a group of drunk Marine's could be, and there were people spilling out of hotel rooms into the hallways. Soph and I chatted with a few other wives for a while, many of them telling me how much their husbands would miss Eric. It was sweet, and reaffirmed what an all around great guy he was to everyone. I was under no illusions. I was lucky to have him for a husband.

The room next door seemed to erupt in laughter and cheers, and the crowd headed over there to see what was going on. I was expecting to find someone chugging some kind of alcohol, but instead I saw three guys in a race to eat bread. Before I could ask someone what was going on, I felt Eric's hands on my hips and his chin on top of my head.

He kissed my hair, then leaned down to talk quietly in my ear. "Those idiots are trying to eat two pieces of bread in one minute without drinking anything."

"Oh. Is that hard?"

"Yeah. It can be done, but it's not easy."

"It certainly doesn't look fun," I said as I watched the three men chewing, their faces turning red. People were cheering them on and laughing at them as Eric placed a soft kiss on my neck. Time ran out and only one person had successfully eaten his bread. Guys were patting him on the back and cursing at the other two. It was like a scene from a playground, or a frat house, and I couldn't help but laugh.

We stepped back into the hallway and Eric wrapped me in his arms holding me tight. "I'm so glad you're here."

"I wouldn't be anywhere else. You okay?"

"I'm good." He sighed. "I kind of can't believe it's over."

"Hey, there's no such thing as an ex-Marine."

"No," he laughed, "There's not."

I smoothed the hair on his forehead. I wasn't sure how much he'd been drinking since I'd been gone with Soph for a while, but he seemed relatively sober. "You need a drink?"

"Yeah, I'll go make us some. I saw some moonshine in there, so don't take a drink from anyone but me or Cal and Soph."

"Hey, you don't have to behave because I'm here."

He wrinkled his brow. "Sook, I'm fine. Merlotte's last month wasn't the norm for me. If I wanted to," he looked over his shoulder at a staggering Marine, "I'd be like him. I'm exactly where I want to be, doing exactly what I want to do." He leaned forward and kissed me slowly, sweetly, amazingly.

Someone yelled, "Get some!" as they walked past us in the hall and then I heard Soph's laughter coming from nearby.

"Aren't they sweet?" she teased.

"They're fucking ridiculous. Newlyweds," Cal grumbled.

Eric ended the kiss, and then turned his head just enough to whisper in my ear, "I love you, bird."

I squeezed him in response and then turned towards Call and Soph.

"You're an asshole, you know that?" Eric was smiling, as he teased Cal.

"I've been an asshole as long as you've known me jackass."

"That is true." Eric laughed. "Need a drink?"

"I do. Thanks. Will you put a little umbrella in it?"

"Fuck off."

"We'll be on the balcony."

"Right."

Eric went to freshen up our drinks while Cal, Soph and I wandered back to Victor's room and went out to the balcony. The night was clear, and the stars reminded me of sitting worlds apart from Eric, looking at the night sky.

I was distracted, daydreaming about Eric finally coming home to live with me in Bon Temps, when I realized Cal was talking to me.

"Sounds like he's paying Twining's brother to drive his stuff to your place. He's got a big truck, and you know Eric, he'll have to drive the 'Vette himself."

"Oh yeah. He told me he was driving it." I chuckled.

"Eric's not the best at keeping in touch," he started.

"We've got it covered." I smiled, glancing at Soph. She and I had become good friends, we talked often on the phone and emailed back and forth.

"Good. Well, be sure to come visit us when Eric comes out to check on the bar." He was quiet for a minute.

"Of course." I hadn't really thought about how hard this would be for him. Eric was his best friend. They had been through hell together, and undoubtedly, Cal would have to go back without him. Soph leaned her head on his shoulder and I saw Cal relax.

I heard Eric in the other room and saw him walking towards us, talking over his shoulder to someone, "Because I'm older and wiser, and I'll wake up in bed with my gorgeous wife tomorrow, while you wake up on the floor in the head."

Eric came through the door. There was laughter and jeering from the room, and he pulled the sliding door closed behind him. How he had managed to navigate his way through the other room carrying four drinks was beyond me.

"Ah, peace and quiet," Cal said quietly.

"Remember when we laughed at the guys out here on the balcony with their wives?" Eric had an arm around me. He was smiling at his friend.

"Yeah. We were young and dumb," Cal laughed.

"Oh honey," Soph said sweetly, "You're still dumb."

We all laughed and then it grew quiet. I knew that this was an important moment between Eric and Cal, and I felt like maybe Soph and I should give them a minute alone.

Eric must have sensed the shift in my muscles. Before I could actually take a step, his arm tightened and he leaned down brushing his lips over my hair. "Don't go, Sook. Just, stay."

I nodded, and moved so I was standing in front of Eric, his body warm along the length of my back. He and Cal made small talk, or that's what it would have sounded like to anyone that came out to join us. Soph and I glanced at each other and smiled, understanding in our eyes. The reality was that these two men were acting like nothing had changed, like Eric wasn't leaving, and it was a bizarre man code indication that they were okay and their friendship was still strong.

Cal handed Eric a cigar, telling him one of Victors uncles had smuggled them from Cuba. They puffed at them, and I closed my eyes for a second, relaxing against Eric. I giggled a little when Eric coughed, clearly he wasn't used to smoking. Soph told us about a charity event she was helping with to send care packages to deployed Marines who didn't have family. We all laughed, making a list of things that they would want.

When our drinks were finished, we moved back into the room to spend time with their other friends. The guys were funny, and several confessed undying love for my husband. Time flowed by us, as people laughed and talked, drinking games were played, and Marine's insisted on dropping their pants to moon each other.

I sipped my gin and tonic and took everything in. I could tell that Eric trying to stretch out his time with everyone. I knew he was ready to move on, but being ready and actually closing the door were different. He was in a group of guys telling a story with Twinings. They were talking about blowing something up, and I wondered just how a person could adjust to regular life after doing such spectacular things and seeing war. I blinked away tears, still amazed that Eric had chosen me over his life of adventure.

Eventually, the party thinned out and Eric took my hand, leading me into the hallway; Cal and Soph were right behind us. We told them goodnight and as Eric put the keycard in the door, Cal called out from their door down the hall.

"Thor, breakfast at 0900?"

"You're on, Wolfman."

00oo00oo00oo

**A/N:  
**Thanks so much for reading. I know we didn't gain much ground here, but I thought Eric's POV was necessary. I think were down to maybe two more chapters. Just warning ya.  
Reviews rock. Thanks in advance, cuz I've been sucking at responding - but the really do mean the freakin' world to me.


	27. Greasy Spoon

**Title: Leap of Faith**  
**Chapter 27: Greasy Spoon**  
**Disclaimer: I don't own the Southern Vampire characters or stories. All copyright belongs to Charlaine Harris. I just take them out of the box to play.**

**A/N:**  
Thanks to **S Meadows **and** A Redhead Thing **for doing their beta thing. We go together like peas and carrots and green beans all smooshed together in a can.

Guess who's home! *Runs away so you can start your reading!*

00oo00oo00oo00oo00

**SPOV**  
The 'Vette pulled down our driveway, and I was down the steps running for the car before Eric could turn off the engine. He climbed out, and I launched myself at him; my arms and legs wrapping around him with a squeal. He held me, laughing, and turned us around so he could lean me against the side of the car, and then brought his hands up to my hair and started kissing me. We were locked together, devouring each other with our mouths, completely unaware of our surroundings.

A door slammed, and Eric groaned as his lips gave me one final peck, and then his forehead rested on mine. I couldn't take my eyes off of his to see who was here, but I saw Eric's eyes dart away and then come back to mine. He grinned and started to release me, but I wouldn't let go.

"Jesus Sookie, climb off poor Eric before you strangle him," Jason called out.

"Leave her be. She's missed him."

"Hoyt, you're such a woman."

I sighed as I released him. "Your moving crew is here."

"I see that. My stuff should be here anytime. Blackbeard wasn't too far behind me, but I have to admit I, ah, had a little bit of a lead foot this morning."

"More so than usual?" I raised an eyebrow. "Wait, who the hell is Blackbeard?"

"Sorry. That's what everyone calls Twinings' brother. He looks just like Charles, but-"

"He has a black beard?" I finished.

"Right. And they both kind of look like pirates, so it fits."

I ducked under his arms and walked over to greet Hoyt and Jason. Eric was right beside me, his hand on my lower back.

We talked for a few minutes and then a large black truck came rolling down the driveway, loaded with Eric's boxes and several pieces of furniture. He'd left most of his furnishings at his place in Jacksonville since he would stay there on occasion, and the farmhouse was loaded to the gills with Gran's and my furniture anyway.

Eric introduced everyone, and I had to stifle a giggle when Hoyt elbowed my brother about Blackbeard, saying, "He looks like a pirate."

I propped the front door open and went back to the kitchen to finish making lunch. I had offered to help and four pair of eyes told me without a sound that I wouldn't be lifting any boxes.

It didn't take more than an hour to unload the truck, then we all sat down to eat ham sandwiches and homemade potato salad. By the time we finished eating, Hoyt and Jason were promising Blackbeard that they'd come visit him in Jacksonville sometime with Eric.

As they drove away, I realized it was real; Eric was home. This was our home. I felt my eyes fill with tears and tried to wipe them away before Eric caught me crying. He was in the living room, looking at something to do with the wiring or hook-ups so he could set up the surround sound speakers he'd had me buy. I'd offered to have the Geek Squad come set it up before he moved in so it would be one last thing he needed to worry about, but he had laughed at me, calling it a waste of money. As I watched him out there muttering and shaking his head, I wondered if he was willing to reconsider, but knew he never would.

I leaned against the door frame. "What can I do to help? What do you want to unpack first?" It was my not so subtle hint that this shouldn't be the priority since our house was full of boxes and misplaced furniture.

He looked at me over his shoulder and started to say something, but stopped. He stood and came over to the doorway, taking me in his arms, and running his lips up my neck to my ear. "Let's take a couple of boxes to the bedroom."

oo00oo00oo

We settled into a rhythm living together. It was funny, after all the time we'd been together before, and again now, this was the first time we lived together for an extended period of time. Even the last year in New Orleans, I still had my own apartment, a sort of refuge to escape to when the testosterone of Eric and his roommate got overwhelming, or when I had my period and wanted to hide in bed for a week.

I was surprised, that we hadn't had any major problems. Sure, we argued about where some of his things would go and why his ugly painting would not replace an old picture my Gran had taken in the foyer, but the other things, the male/female roommate things, were going smoothly. Eric was good about putting the toilet seat down and changing the toilet paper roll and he'd started at least putting his dishes in the sink even if he didn't wipe down the counter the way I would have. I tried really hard not to question how he managed to create such an insane amount of laundry and learned to adjust to the fact that there were rarely leftovers in the house, and if we had any, they never lasted more than a day.

We had started a Sunday tradition of trying a new recipe for dinner. It leveled the playing field in the kitchen; I didn't want to improvise until we had at least tried the dish once, and Eric was fine following the instructions to the letter. I teased him about improvising as a Marine but being so rigid in the kitchen. He laughed at my comparison, saying that improvising was easy when lives were at risk, but not when a meal was at stake.

While I worked during the day, Eric unpacked his boxes and worked on things for the Dog House. His things were slowly infiltrating the house, and it was definitely becoming more ours than mine or Gran's. Our weekends were filled with yard work and small chores around the bar, but Eric was trying to take the weekends off from there, because he knew how much time he'd be spending there once it got open.

One Saturday, I had gone out to the old shed to get my gloves before weeding the front flowerbed and had been amazed at the shiny new tools and organized shelves. The most touching thing out there however, was an unfinished porch swing with a can of varnish standing in the corner. I knew exactly what he intended with it and I loved him even more.

Weeding forgotten, I went to find Eric. He was in the office going though papers and entering information into the computer. He looked up and smiled at me, as I walked across the room towards him. I climbed into his lap and circled my arms around his neck.

"Well, hello," he laughed.

"Hi." I kissed him and then sat back to see his face. "So, I think I found a something you meant as a surprise."

"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. I went to get my gardening gloves out of the shed."

"Oh." His face grew serious. "That _was_ supposed to be a surprise. How do you feel about that?"

"I feel like I have the best husband ever."

"Well, that's a given. How do you feel about the swing?"

"I love it. Thank you. I'm looking forward to sitting on it with you. I'm not sure it will ever become my favorite place to sit, but it'll be nice not to have to avoid it anymore."

"Good. It could have gone either way."

I laughed. "Yeah. Well, I'm doing a little better these days. I have a new husband, you know?"

"Really?" He sat up a little in the chair, fitting us tighter together.

"Yeah. He makes me pretty happy." I rocked my hips against him.

"If he makes you so happy, what are you doing in here with me?"

"Nothing, yet." I bit my lip and looked at him in anticipation.

He shook his head and smirked before my lips covered his. I kissed him, sliding my tongue against his and my hands over his chest.

"Fuck," he said, his hands moving to the button on my shorts. "We'd better get busy before he gets here."

"Oh, yeah." I was getting hotter and wetter by the second. "Take me hard and fast. Hurry, before he comes home."

I stood and stripped out of my clothes quickly and watched Eric do the same. Pushing him down into the chair, I climbed back on top of him. He reached forward, cupping my breasts with his hands as he kissed his way down my chest to lick and tease my nipples. Suddenly, I didn't care about anything but feeling him inside of me. I ran the head of his cock along my wet folds until his head slid into my entrance, and we both groaned. I bit my lip and lowered myself on him, my body stretching inch by inch as he filled me.

My breath caught as our bodies met. Our eyes locked, and I lifted off him slowly, until he was barely inside of me, and then dropped myself, taking him hard and fast. It felt incredible, his body wrapped around me and his hard length pushing straight up, through my center. I bit my lip, and moaned, there was nothing that compared to this.

Eric's eyes closed and his head dropped back when I impaled myself on him. He exhaled and raised his head again to look at me. "Sookie," he breathed.

My mouth crashed against his as I began to raise and lower myself in short quick movements. His hands were firm on my hips as he took control, his strokes longer and harder than mine had been. We moved against each other, panting and sighing; nothing compared to the way I felt when Eric was filling me. My mind wandered, unable to focus on anything but feeling until I heard a low growl in Eric's chest; the sound reverberated in my ears. It was possessive and primal, and I felt my body clamping down on him before my orgasm exploded.

He continued working my body, thrusting his hips towards me as he pulled me down on top of him. We were breathing heavily and Eric had begun mumbling to himself, "Fuck yeah. God you feel so good. Jesus."

I moved my hands to his chest and teased his nipples while my mouth ran along his collarbone, kissing and nibbling. I knew he loved it, and I knew he was close. I scraped my teeth over his Adam's apple and he groaned, arching his back, and slamming me down onto him. I lowered my mouth to his chest, circling his nipple with my tongue then sucking lightly, before I bit down and sent him over the edge.

We sat together, heads on each others shoulders, a sweaty mess, as we waited for our breathing to get back to normal.

"Jesus. How am I supposed to get any work done in here? That's all I'll be able to think about."

"Ha! Well, serves you right. I'm lucky I ever get anything done in the kitchen."

"I can't help it. You always dance around and wiggle your ass when you cook." His hands slid over my hips to emphasize his words.

"It must be a new habit, because you never attacked me in the kitchen in New Orleans."

"God no." He shuddered. "I had a roommate, remember? He always showed up at the worst times. And you're the only one who ever cleaned that kitchen. It was disgusting. You've always made me hot when you were cooking."

"Even when I don't follow the recipe?" I teased.

"Oh, especially then."

I snorted and laughed. He was so full of shit.

**EPOV**  
I was working hard getting the bar ready to open. I had hired contractors to do most of the work, but couldn't help going over there daily to pitch in. I met with Sam and was in contact with local distributors for all of the supplies we would need; everything from alcohol to toilet bowl cleaner.

Sookie seemed impressed with my knowledge of running a bar. I laughed and explained that although I was overseas the majority of the time I owned the Spear, Thalia kept me involved and informed about decisions. I also admitted to her that I was on the phone with Sam and Thalia almost every day.

The decorating was coming along. We changed out the bar stools and booths from vinyl covered seats to all wood and put in a new bar. The old one was so beer soaked and warped that it was disgusting. The walls had been covered in slats and then painted grey to make it look like the siding on a dog house. Pam wanted to put pictures of dog houses up on the wall, but I vetoed it and hung beer signs and bar mirrors up instead. Sookie wanted the floor refinished, but Jason finally got her to understand how ridiculous it was by spitting on the floor in front of her.

"There's stuff worse than that that'll end up on the floor in here, sis."

"Point taken." She had a disgusted look on her face, and turned towards me, "You bought the strongest floor cleaner out there, right?"

"Of course, Sook, but I still wouldn't eat off it."

"Oh, _gross!_" She slapped me on the arm and changed the subject with a laugh.

Overall, Sookie and I were taking advantage of our time together. We were hanging out when she got off work, doing projects around the bar on the weekends, spending time with our families and visiting with old friends when we could.

We weren't really talking about it, but we knew that when the bar opened I'd be working late nights until we made a little money and I found a good manager to close up at night for us. We had about a month to go before the bar opened. Final inspections were scheduled and delivery dates confirmed. I had interviews scheduled with a number of locals for waitstaff and bartenders, but what I still needed was a cook.

I tried to see Beatrice every week, she was growing so fast. Pam teased us about having kids, and somehow it wasn't nearly as offensive as it had been when Jessica did it. Sookie and I were still trying, well, not preventing getting pregnant. I'd been a little freaked out when I found prenatal vitamins in the bathroom, but Sookie had walked in on me holding the bottle and laughed hysterically at the look on my face. When she stopped crying, she explained that her doctor had told her to start taking them _before_ we got pregnant so her body would be ready to carry the baby.

Sookie and I had settled into Gran's house. I'd finished the swing after she found it and let Sookie toss the match on the fire to burn the old one. We'd painted the living room a soft brown, and although I loved the memories it held from years ago, we bought a new couch that I could almost stretch all the way out on. The second bedroom downstairs had been painted a soft yellow, and Sookie was using it as a library. I wasn't fooled though, it was a pre-nursery, and we both knew it.

I came home one night, after working at the bar all day installing a new dishwasher to find Sookie sitting on the steps. It had been rainy and cool most of the day, but it had finally cleared off. I loved the smell after the rain, but Sookie was more of a fresh cut grass and sunlight girl.

"What's up? Everything alright?"

"Yup. Come on." She started walking towards her car.

I tried not to groan, but small sound escaped. I was filthy and tired.

"Time's a'wasting big man."

I had no idea what she was talking about, but she was smiling and handed me a Coke when I got in the car.

"You can sleep 'til we get there."

"I don't need to know where we're going?"

"You'll recognize it."

She wasn't going to tell me. I gave her a hard look and settled back in the passenger seat closing my eyes. I fell asleep quickly and woke up when she parked the car. Looking around the parking lot, I raised an eyebrow at Sookie.

"Why are we here?"

"You'll see." She smiled and came around to my side of the car.

We were sitting in the parking lot of a greasy spoon the next exit up from the bar. I had no idea why we were here; with Sookie there was no telling. She took my hand and led me inside. A waitress smiled at us as we slid into a booth, but the biggest reaction came from a young man behind the grill.

"Miss Sookie! You comin' to visit me?" He came out from behind the counter grinning at us.

"Of course, Stan. Remember I told you that my husband was coming home from the Marines? This is Eric. Eric, this is Stan."

I shook his hand and said hello, but I was still trying to figure out what Sookie had up her sleeve.

"What's the special today?"

"We got comfort food today on account of the weather earlier. The homemade macaroni and cheese and Chili are the specials. Lettie May cooked some carrot cake for dessert. Ya'll take a look at the menu and let Bonita know when you're ready to order." He nodded politely, and then went to a sink behind the counter to wash his hands before returning to the grill.

"So, that's Stan." Sookie said quietly. "He and his wife Isobel have two kids. His sister died in that horrible car accident over in Monroe last month."

"Sookie," I cautioned. She was notorious for picking up strays.

"Wait, just listen. Stan's sister died and he and Isobel took in her three kids. So now they have five kids under the age of seven in their house, and well, you need a cook and he needs a better job."

I exhaled. "Bird, I know you're just trying to help."

"I am. Let's not talk about it until we've eaten. Okay? I think I'm going to order the chili. What do you want?"

I scanned the menu; it was standard diner food with a few southern favorites. The specials sounded good, but I was in the mood for a greasy burger. Lettie May came by and we placed our orders.

We sipped our fountain drinks and talked about our days. Sookie had been in the office all day, with no emergency calls or families that needed home visits. She'd made phone calls and done reports, it was what she called a good, boring day. I told her all about the new dishwasher with a double rack that would quickly wash dishes and glasses much faster than the older model we'd sold on Craig's list.

Our food arrived and it both looked and smelled delicious. Sookie had an odd expression on her face for a second, then she shrugged, and dug into her chili, sprinkling crushed saltine crackers over the top. My burger was cooked perfectly and the fries appeared hand cut. We ate without much talking and Lettie May brought us over a large piece of carrot cake.

"We didn't order that," I said as she walked away.

"No. We didn't have to. They both know I can't resist it."

I put my fork into it, getting both cake and frosting on the tines and took a bite. "Ohmygod," I mumbled while chewing. It was amazing.

"Yup. That's why I can't resist."

She put a forkful up to her mouth and paused with it in front of her mouth as if she was smelling it. With a shake of her head, she put the cake in her mouth and sighed. Damn Sookie and her food porn.

We finished the cake and she leaned back in the booth. "So?"

"So, he cooks a mean burger and makes some good chili."

"You also noticed that he hand cuts his fries and is a stickler about cleanliness. Don't pretend you didn't see that."

"If he wants the job, why hasn't he asked about it or applied?"

She huffed and gave me a pissy look. "Because no one has ever encouraged him or told him he could get a better job. And because until last month he was making ends meet here."

I sighed. "What do you want me to do?"

"Give him a chance. Ask him if he's heard about the bar and if he'd like to talk about picking up some hours. It can't hurt."

He was the best lead on a local cook I had in a few weeks. Sam had suggested paying big bucks for a chef out of New Orleans, and I had laughed at him, but I'd been considering it recently. I nodded and she all but clapped.

Sookie called Stan over to talk to us while I paid the bill. When I joined them, I asked if he'd heard about the Dog House and if he might want to see about cooking there. He was excited, but looked at Sookie nervously.

"It's okay, Stan. Eric won't mind if you work here too."

He looked down. "It's just that, well Mr. Northman, I've got some extra mouths to feed."

"I heard about that, Stan, and you can call me Eric. It's a good thing you're doing. We'll try to get you as many hours as we can so you can take care of your family."

"Thank you. We're still trying to make it all work." He gave a little laugh.

"We'll talk soon." I shook his hand and Sookie said goodbye as well.

I opened the door for Sookie when she paused and looked back. "Stan, was there something different about the chili today?"

He smiled and at the same time, they both said, "Cinnamon."

She laughed. "And pinapple in the carrot cake?"

"Good nose, Sookie!" Lettie May beamed.

"Not usually," she mumbled, then called out another goodnight as we went out to the car.

**A/N: **  
OMG - what could that mean? *Tries to look innocent.*

So I may have lied, or it's just that I'm long winded...the bar opens in the next chapter and then there will be a little more. I'm not sure if it will be one or two chapters. We'll just have to see how it plays out, or how much E/S keep talking to me!

Thanks again to everyone that is reading and reviewing. I'm so thankful to all of the readers, even you lurkers that don't review. I had no idea how well this would be received when it started out. I'm truly humbled by the response.


	28. A New Life

**Title: Leap of Faith  
Chapter 28: A New Life**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Southern Vampire characters or stories. All copyright belongs to Charlaine Harris. I just take them out of the box to play.

**A/N:**  
So...many of you were right on with the cinnamon bit, whether from TB or real life experience. *snort* Let's see how Sookie processes through the information and manages to tell Eric.

Thanks for all of your reviews for the last chapter! And thanks again to those who reviewed last week while they read the whole thing in one setting, damn, that must have been a roller coaster.

As always, gigantic ice cream cookie sandwich sized thanks to **S. Meadows** and **A Redhead Thing** for doing the beta thing. This week I learned I've been using the word "smirk" wrong for years. *snicker* I love the things I learn in fanfic.

Oh - this abbreviation shows up in the chapter - VFW = Veterans of Foreign Wars

00oo00oo00oo00

**SPOV**  
I'd helped Eric find a cook by introducing him to Stan. It was slightly unethical of me to connect the two of them, but it was in sort of a gray area, since Stan wasn't really a client of mine, and things seemed to be working out quite well.

Eric had asked Stan, and his other cook Rasul to help develop the menu since they would be making the food, and they had basically sworn their fealty to him, amazed that anyone would put so much faith in them.

Time was flying by. We had less than a week before the bar opened, and I had hit the wall. I was exhausted all the time. If I wasn't busy with something, I was asleep. Things had been busy at work and I'd been going to the bar to help Eric put the finishing touches on things in the evenings. We were both burning the candle at both ends.

It was midweek, and Amelia and I were on the phone after work, finalizing plans for the weekend. She and Tray were driving out for the opening. They were an actual couple as of late, and I couldn't wait to see them.

"Sookie, you sound rough. Are you eating?"

"Here and there. I've been eating a lot of bananas. They're the only thing that sounds good."

"You don't usually like bananas."

"I know. Weird right? I'm just tired and my stomach is off. I think it's the heat."

"Sookie, it's April, it's not that hot."

"I'm probably just worn down." I sighed.

"I guess. The flu has been going around. Have you been sick?"

"No. I mean my stomach just doesn't feel right, but I haven't thrown up. It could be the flu, but I've been feeling better by the time I get to work."

"Well, that's good at least. Have you had a fever?"

I cocked my head, thinking, and it was all coming together. Quietly, I said, "No, no fevers."

"What?"

I didn't respond, taking another minute to think it through. My eyes got wide and I moved my hand to cover my mouth. It didn't matter that no one was there to see me. I shook my head in disbelief. How had I missed it?

"I don't have the flu."

"Sook, what?"

I started to talk, feeling my lips twitch as if to tell her, but the words wouldn't form. It was too soon. It was sudden. It wasn't supposed to be this easy. "Meel. I'm pregnant."

"Hells bells! Are you serious? When was your last period?"

"The beginning of last month. I didn't have one this month. How did I not notice that?"

"Well, you've been busy getting the bar ready and working. Plus, I can only imagine that you two have been fucking like rabbits, so you probably didn't miss it." She paused, and then continued quietly. "This is a good thing, right? I mean, you weren't trying to prevent it."

"No, we weren't. But, I didn't expect. I mean, Amelia, what if I'm not a good mom?"

"Are you fucking kidding me?" She cackled. "You're already a mom to everyone you know! Me, Jace, Eric, you take care of all of us. You babysat Beatrice right after she was born, and you told me how amazing it was."

"But she isn't mine. I only watched her for a few hours. That's not long enough to screw her up!"

"Oh, Sookie. It's totally normal to feel freaked out right now. This is, well, it's big. What are you going to tell Eric?"

"I don't know. I mean. Should I tell him now? It's early. What if something happens?"

All I could think of was Jessica losing the baby. How long were you supposed to wait before you told people? Three months I thought. I couldn't be more than eight weeks along. This was huge. It was life changing. How the hell had I thought I was ready for this?

"Sookie." Amelia's voice was sharp through the phone. "Stop. You're freaking out and second guessing everything. The first thing you need to do is go to the drug store and buy a home pregnancy test."

"Right. You're absolutely right." I exhaled. It was not a good sign that Amelia was the voice of reason. I really needed to calm down.

"Go take the test, and if it's positive, you need to tell Eric. You can wait and tell everyone else later. Although, I think maybe you should talk to Pam since she's been through this before."

"Okay. I'm going to the store and then I'll pee on the stick."

"Yay for peeing on sticks! Sookie, this is exciting. It's going to be okay. Keep me posted!"

"I know. You're right. I'm going to the store. Alright bye."

Eric had told me he would be home late, and I didn't want to wait for him, so I grabbed my wallet and headed for the store.

I came home and locked myself in the bathroom. I don't know why I locked the door, but I did. I felt like the information would be sealed in the room with me or something crazy. I opened the box and read the instructions; it seemed simple enough. I held the stick in my urine stream, which was the manufacture's polite phrase for "pee on the stick," then put the little cap back on and waited.

I looked at the little window, and there was _sort of_ a second line there. It wasn't nearly as dark as the line you were supposed to compare it to. I read the instructions again. It didn't say anything about if it was only a faint line, it only said two lines means yes. Did my faint line mean the same as a dark line? Fuck. It was a three pack of tests, so I did it again.

The next two tests were the same as the first. I gave up and went back to the store, guzzling some water on my way so I could pee again when I got home. There had been a more expensive test at the pharmacy, it seemed stupid, but it actually printed the phrases "pregnant" or "not pregnant" in the results window. I had looked at it on my first trip to the store and laughed, thinking what dumb ass needed that? Apparently, I did. And apparently I was.

Eric called and left a voice-mail while I was locked in the bathroom the second time. By the time I cleaned up the papers, boxes and sticks all over the bathroom and listened to his message, I was excited, but still terrified. He was frustrated, the county was doing something with the road in front of the bar and had managed to cut both his power and phone lines. He already had some things in the freezers and was going to have to stay there to make sure they got the power turned back on, or drive to Shreveport for a generator. He told me not to wait up, and he sounded exhausted.

I bit my lip and curled up on the bed with his pillow clutched to my chest. How was I going to tell him? Was he going to be excited? Or was he going to be terrified first like me? I couldn't stop my thoughts, but somehow I fell asleep and never even felt him climb into bed.

Eric was gone before my alarm went off in the morning. He'd left me a note by the clock telling me that he had deliveries coming in all day at the bar. He left me two bills, asking if I could make sure they got to the post office, and reminded me that he would be late because he was going to Shreveport to pick up some things from a restaurant that had gone out of business. I had offered several times to run to Shreveport for him, but he said he needed to look everything over before he decided if he really wanted to take it.

I sighed, and flopped on my back. So much for telling him last night, or this morning. Now what was I going to do?

**EPOV**  
The last few days before opening the Dog House were a whirlwind. Sookie was exhausted and I hated having to ask her to help out. She was falling asleep on her feet, yet she drove to Monroe to pick up the menus from the printer and the new curtains that had to be treated with special spray to prevent the spread of fire before we could hang them.

Soph and Thalia flew in to Shreveport and rented a car to drive to Bon Temps. Amelia and Tray were due any minute and I was running late, again. What made me think I wanted to do this? Oh yes, I already had a bar, so this should be easy. Right. I had been waiting on one more waitress to finish filling out her paperwork so I could go home, and her car wouldn't start. Not a good sign. I drove the poor girl home, thirty minutes in the wrong direction, making polite small talk when all I could think was, _I want to go home now. _

I dropped her off and chuckled to myself, thinking about how fast your standards could change. Compared to the shit I'd been though in Iraq, this was a fucking cake walk, yet here I was being a whiny baby about it. Shaking my head, I turned the car around and headed home.

There were two rental cars in the driveway when I pulled around to the back of the house. I came in through the kitchen and heard loud voices in the living room laughing and talking. Tray caught my eye and held up six-pack of beer. I loved him. I set down my keys and headed into the living room to say hello.

"Eric!" Soph was on me in a heartbeat, arms around me for a big hug. Thalia joined her and Sookie was making an "awwww" sound from across the room.

When I was finally released, Tray handed me a beer. We spread out across the living room, all of us getting comfortable, talking and laughing. Soph told us Cal wished he could come, but he was at a two week training somewhere. I sure as hell missed Cal, but I thanked God I wasn't off at some training, pissing in a ditch and eating MRE's.

Tray and I split the six pack while Sookie and Amelia played bartender making mixed drinks for the girls. Sookie had snack food out for everyone, and I made a sandwich in the kitchen. We enjoyed our-selves, talking and laughing.

I shook my head at Sookie, thinking she must be stressed about the bar. She was in full comfort mode; her flannel pajamas and Tulane t-shirt that she wore when she was sick and the huge 7-11 Slurpee cup that I hadn't seen since I left Tulane. It was a gigantic New Orleans Saints plastic cup that she used during finals week every semester, saying it was good luck. She had filled it with ice cubes and sweet tea or Diet Coke and pulled all nighters, making homemade cheese dip with Velveeta and salsa in giant batches. I wondered what the hell she had in that giant cup tonight, imagining Amelia could mix a mean drink.

Sookie gave everyone a tour of the updates that had been made to the farmhouse and got everyone set in their rooms for the night. She met me in the bedroom, and I pulled her into my arms for a hug.

"Are you okay, bird?"

"I'm good. Why?"

She didn't seem good. She seemed tired and anxious, and I hoped she wasn't keeping something from me. "Sook, everything is all set. You don't need to be worried about tomorrow. I'm not. I've just got a bunch of small things to finish up in the morning, and then we're good to go. I think I might even be able to come home for a couple of hours before we open."

"I'm fine. I'm just ready to relax. I'm glad our friends are here, and I'm glad that I'll get you to myself a bit when the bar is up and running."

"We're going to be on opposite schedules for a while Sook, but we'll make it work."

"I know. I figure I'll eat dinner at the bar every night for the first few weeks at least. Good thing I like Stan's cooking."

I kissed her slowly, sliding my hands up her back, massaging her shoulders as we finished the kiss. "I love you."

"I know," she sighed. "I love you, too." She leaned against my chest, tightening her grip around my waist.

"Tired?"

"Exhausted."

I pulled her to the bathroom where we brushed our teeth and got ready for bed. I'm pretty sure she skipped a step or two in her routine because she finished before me and went back into the bedroom. I walked through the doorway to join her, ready to tease her that Pam said you didn't know what tired meant until you had a baby, but she was already asleep, lying on top of the covers like she was waiting for me. I climbed into my side of the bed and curled around her, covering us with the sheet. I ran my hand through her hair and she sighed, snuggling against me.

I woke in the morning and headed to the gym before anyone else got out of bed. I'd been wound pretty tight, and I needed a good workout to take the edge off. I went through the circuit of weight machines pushing myself, the burn making me work harder. On the treadmill I thought about the rest of the day. Everything should have been ready at the bar, but I wanted to go through it all one more time. I showered and drove to the bar to finish up and get together the last little details before the staff arrived later.

Thalia called as I sat down with my coffee in the office. She told me she was sitting on the porch at the house, with her own cup of coffee. She ran down a list of things that I should have ready, like she was quizzing me, and I felt better as I told her "done" in response to each thing she named.

She sighed. "You're all set. Just come home, you're so anal it's disgusting."

"It's my Marine training."

"Well, whatever it is, you sound like you're all set. What time is your staff coming in?"

We talked about the waitresses and kitchen staff, and I knew I was ready. I did a few more things in my office, organized some supplies and made sure the kitchen was spotless for the big opening.

I drove home to find Sookie in the kitchen fixing a late lunch for our friends. Amelia was making salad while Soph and Thalia told some obnoxious story about a beach party a few years ago when Cal and I both had way too much to drink.

"Hey now," I said as I came through the door. "Pictures or it didn't happen."

"I just so happen to have brought my laptop big boy."

"Oh hell, I walked into that, didn't I?" I laughed and she gave me a hug.

"I won't get out the evidence yet, but you should know better than to make that threat around me."

"Now, that's not fair!" Amelia called. "You can't tease us saying you've got those pictures and then deny us!"

"Amelia, give the man a break." I really liked Tray. He was good people.

"Enough. If anyone is looking at drunken pictures of my husband, it will be me."

Thalia turned towards Sookie with a confused look on her face. "You've already seen them. You know, the pictures of them in their underwear in the bathtub?"

"Oh, yeah!" Sookie laughed and I paled, remembering the night and the pictures that Soph had taken. "Those are good pictures! I'll show you later, Amelia. I have a file of old Eric pictures that Soph sent me."

"Jesus." I muttered.

Sookie put her arms around me, standing on her tip toes to kiss my chin. "Love you, baby."

"Right." I tried to grumble, but I smiled and dipped her back for a kiss.

We ate lunch, Sookie had made a chicken and rice casserole, and then we split up, all with different plans for the afternoon. I went up to the office to make a couple of quick phone calls, and I heard Sookie telling Soph and Thalia she would take them on a tour of the property. Based on the rhythmic creaking and moaning coming from the guest room, Amelia and Tray decided to stay back at the house.

A while later I got showered and headed out, everyone saying they would see me soon. I stopped and picked up the balloons I had ordered from the grocery store; they filled the back of the 'Vette, and I looked like a tool for the short drive to the Dog House.

Stan and Rasul showed up first to get things ready in the kitchen. Then the waitstaff started trickling in. There was one girl, Indira, that I had in mind as a manager. She'd managed a restaurant in New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina, but it had been destroyed, as was her apartment, and she'd moved back to her parents' house to start over. She had agreed to be my head waitress for now, and I was thankful, because I had a feeling I'd be all over the place during the grand opening.

I went over the menu with the waitstaff one more time, reminding them that they had tasted everything at our staff meeting at the beginning of the week. When the doors opened, Sookie and our friends were the first to roll in, then Pam and Andre came in with Beatrice for dinner. Jason and the rest of the Parish crew showed up, then some of our contractors that had helped on the remodel, and a few of our distributors.

I was pleasantly surprised to see Sam Merlotte talking to Sookie. Hoyt's mom arrived with a group from the library, and Sookie burst into tears when the ladies from Gran's chapter of the Descendants of the Glorious Dead arrived. The place was filling up, and a large group from the local VFW post came in; to take up the rest of the tables.

Sookie hugged me, whispering how proud of me she was; I couldn't get my head around how good it felt to have her by my side.

Throughout the night I took a minute to chat with everyone, or at least I thought I did, and suddenly it was time for last call. Everything had gone well, there were only minor issues between the kitchen and the waitstaff, and those were easily worked out.

The place emptied out and it was down to our family and close friends. I thanked everyone for coming and snuck in one last round of drinks for everyone while I got ready to close up. We made sure Jason had someone to drive his drunk ass home, and loaded into our cars to head home. I was exhilarated and exhausted all at the same time.

Sookie climbed into the car, grinning from ear to ear.

I smiled back, and we pulled out of the parking lot heading home. "Did you have a good night, Sookie?"

"I did. How about you? Do you think it went alright?"

"Yeah. I'm pretty excited. Everyone had good things to say. A few people said they came in because of the radio advertisement, so I'm glad I did that." I sighed. "Overall, it was a good night."

She held my hand and we drove the rest of the way back to the house. Everyone else was already there, digging into the refrigerator for a late night snack and pouring a round of drinks. Amelia handed Sookie a glass, and Tray gave me a beer. We sat around the table, eating chips and sandwiches, telling bar stories and joking around.

I saw Sookie yawning and caught her eye. I inclined my head towards the bedroom to see if she was ready to call it a night, and she nodded in agreement. I made our excuses, listening to Soph harass me for going to bed before she did, and we left our friends to continue visiting.

We moved into the bedroom, and I closed the door, pulling her into my arms as I pressed her back against it. I leaned down and kissed her softly, holding her face in my hands.

"Thank you, Sookie. For believing in me, for giving me a second chance. For everything."

"Eric," she sighed as her eyes filled with tears and she reached between us to put her hands on my chest.

"I never thought it was possible, but I fall more in love with you every day Sookie."

"I love you so much, and I am so proud of you."

I swept away her tears with my thumbs, looking into her eyes. My hands slid along her neck and down the sides of her breasts.

She whimpered as my hands continued their descent to her waist band, then she shoved at my chest. "Wait. Hold that thought. I have something for you."

She walked over to the dresser and picked up a gift bag that I hadn't seen sitting there.

"What's this?"

She looked nervous, but excited as she handed it to me. "It's a little something for you to read for our next project." She bit her lip while she waited for me to reach into the bag.

"You already have a new project planned for us?" I teased.

I reached into the bag and my hand found what felt to be, in fact, a book. It was wrapped in tissue paper, so I pulled it out and set the bag aside. I waggled my eyebrows at Sookie, teasing, and pulled the paper off of the book.

I read the title and raised my eyes to look into hers, which were full of tears. I grinned, I couldn't help myself. "What exactly does this mean?" I whispered.

She seemed relieved at my smile, and beamed back at me. "I just gave you 'What to Expect When You're Expecting.' What do you think it means?"

"Sookie," I laughed. "Is this a future project, or a work in progress?" My heart was beating faster, but I was trying to reign myself in and not get too excited before I knew.

She stepped forward, looping her arms around my neck, and stood on her toes. Her warm breath touched my cheek, torturing me for a millisecond that felt like hours.

"I think we have seven months to read it."

She settled back to her flat feet and teased me with her eyes.

I wanted to shout at the top of my lungs, but it was almost four in the morning and we had guests. At any rate, I threw my head back and laughed as I pulled her into my arms and spun her around in a circle. I was grinning as I set her back on her feet and shook my head. I could feel tears running down my face.

"Fuck, Sookie. A baby?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Are you excited? It's kind of soon."

Was I excited? Jesus Christ, I was ecstatic. I nodded, and slowly dropped to my knees in front of her, pressing my cheek to her stomach. "God, bird, I love you. I am beyond fucking excited, but I can't come up with the word."

She giggled, putting her hands in my hair. I sat down on the floor and pulled her into my lap. I kissed her softly, stroking her mouth with my tongue, caressing her back with my hands, praying for the god's to watch over her and our child. Finishing the kiss, I put my lips to her forehead.

"Who would have thought?" She said quietly.

I smoothed her hair, pulling her against my chest and resting my chin on her head the way she fit perfectly.

"I never stopped dreaming, bird."

00oo00oo00oo00oo  
**A/N:**  
Damn. I'm sorry if you're crying again. I love him that much too.

K - I'm HOPING to update next Monday - but I will be out of town and I cannot gaurantee internet access. SO - LOF might update late Monday or Tuesday morning. Just giving you fair warning.

Thanks for reading! *Off to write the next chapter!*


	29. Labor of Love

**Title: Leap of Faith**  
**Chapter 29: Labor of Love**  
**Disclaimer: I don't own the Southern Vampire characters or stories. All copyright belongs to Charlaine Harris. I just take them out of the box to play.**

**A/N:**  
I love that you were all nervous she wasn't going to get to tell him in the last chapter. I didn't torture you on purpose!

Gigantic hugs and a fireworks show for and **A Redhead Thing** for their ninja beta skills. Thanks ladies, you rock!

00oo00oo00oo00oo00  
**EPOV**  
Everything was ready, well everything except Sookie and me. There was no way to be ready for this. Everyone I talked to said being a first time parent was a little bit like trial by fire. The nursery was ready. We'd kept it the yellow and added zoo animal accents. Sookie had been thrown a couple of baby showers where she received unbelievable amounts of gifts, and I swear Soph and Thalia bought out an entire store with what they sent us. There were baby things stacked everywhere, and our room had been taken over by books about being pregnant and raising babies.

Sookie was off work and had been ordered to rest. It wasn't mandatory bed rest, but she wasn't supposed to work, and she needed to keep off her feet when she could. She spent a lot of time in the new recliner which we bought when we found out she would be off work with her feet up almost a month before her due date.

Early in her pregnancy we learned that we couldn't agree on names for the baby, whether it was a boy or a girl. Sookie liked old fashioned names, like Gabriella or Spencer, while I liked more modern names Zoe or Brevyn. I liked that they were uncommon, like Sookie's name, but she didn't agree.

We spent evenings looking through the book of baby names. Sookie used a yellow highlighter to mark the names that she liked while I used an orange one. Eventually, we found a few names that were covered with both colors. It didn't get any easier when we had the ultrasound and found out what we were having. I had a feeling we would be making the decision in the delivery room.

Sookie experienced what Pam called the regular pregnancy dramas. She had to buy new clothes and new bras, she eventually couldn't tie her shoes or see her feet, she was exhausted but couldn't sleep, her memory was shot, and she was constipated. Her breasts were humongous, which she hated and I was fully taking advantage of. 'Morning sickness' was a joke because she was sick all the time. She sucked on ginger candies, ate saltines and drank room temperature ginger-ale at all hours of the day. Throw in her pregnancy hormones, and it was a recipe for disaster, but we were taking it all in stride.

She had some real low points during her pregnancy, but from what I'd heard, it was to be expected. Around six months along she had a minor break down about not being able to eat sushi while we were in Shreveport getting supplies for the bar. We drove past her favorite Japanese restaurant, and I thought she was going to cry.

"What is it, Sookie?" I hadn't even noticed that we'd driven past Shogun.

"Can we please stop so I can have some spicy tuna rolls?"

I realized where we were and that it wasn't just an out of the blue question. "Sookie, you can't have sushi. No raw fish." She pouted. "You can have a California roll. That's imitation crab. There's nothing raw in those."

"I don't _want_ a California roll."

"Let's stop and have teppanyaki. You love it when they cook at the table and they make that volcano with the rings of onion."

"I _want_ spicy tuna rolls."

"Sookie."

"I don't want anything else. Just take me home." She turned her head to look out the window, and I couldn't see her face, but I heard sniffling. She didn't say a word for the rest of the ride back to Bon Temps.

There were several other times throughout her pregnancy when I had walked in on complete train wrecks. In particular, rubbing lotion on her belly to prevent stretch marks seemed to set her off. She usually burst out crying, blaming me for ruining her bikini body and saying she would never be the same. I always ended up rubbing the lotion on for her and telling her that she was beautiful, and she always would be. I swore that I loved her exactly as she was, but promised that if she wanted any kind of surgery I would pay for it. That last bit had backfired on me a couple of times, but I never knew if it was a necessary statement on that particular day, so I threw it in there. I could usually cover my ass and backtrack if she flipped out over it.

Throughout her pregnancy, Sookie had been reading a series of novels about Dark Hunters that were sort of, but not really, vampires. I had flipped through one, and understood why she was generally horny after reading those books, so I didn't complain at all. Actually, I'd never admit it to her, but I'd strategically placed them where she would find them throughout the day on more than one occasion. In the final months however, our sex life had slowed down. We did as much as we could, but there were times when she was just too uncomfortable and as she would say, absolutely not in the fucking mood.

We were less than a week away from her due date when I carried a plate into her in the living room. I brought her a glass of milk and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with the crusts cut off. I had been dumbfounded over the outburst about bread crusts a month or so ago, but I went with the flow, and cut the crusts off every time now. She would most likely eat half of the sandwich and fall asleep before the milk was finished, but she didn't seem to recognize the pattern and when I'd say, "You just want a half of whatever, right?" She'd tell me she was really hungry. We repeated the conversation several times a day with different meals.

"Oh thanks, Eric. I'm really hungry."

"Uh huh."

I sat down with my own turkey sandwich. Sookie had sworn off cold cuts during pregnancy because of preservatives or something. Pam told her that she was being extreme, but Sookie didn't mind giving them up. Coffee had been a major battle the first month or so, but then she just let it go and enjoyed hot water with lemon, which I thought was completely insane.

Indira had taken over as the bar manager two months ago, and things were going well. A former coworker of hers had moved up to Monroe and was now our assistant manager. Terry Bellefleur and I covered shifts for them to each have days off, and I spent most afternoons at the bar doing paperwork.

Since Terry was mostly a fill in bartender at Merlotte's, he liked knowing that he'd work at least two days a week for me. I think Terry also liked working at the Dog House because we were both Veterans. Not that he didn't like working for Sam, but Terry had a Patriotic streak a mile wide, and working at a place owned by another Vet was certainly positive in his eyes.

Having them help out had made a huge difference. Things had been such a whirlwind, moving back to Bon Temps and in with Sookie, then the bar opened, and we were pregnant. I was really enjoying being home with Sookie in the evenings, even if she was exhausted. I wanted to be a hands-on father, unlike my own, and was looking forward to having us being together as a family.

It was a Saturday afternoon, and I had finished everything I needed to at the bar first thing in the morning and was going to spend the afternoon with Sookie. I planned to rub her feet and let her watch as many chick flicks as she wanted. I had arranged with Tara to bring over fresh baked cookies from Mrs. Fortenberry and was already planning on running to the Dairy Queen to get her ice cream for dinner.

I was amazed by my wife every day and wanted her to know how much I loved and appreciated her. I had no idea going into this what kind of roller coaster being pregnant would be, for both of us, but we were on the downhill run and I couldn't have been more excited and nervous and terrified all at the same time.

Sookie set her plate aside after finishing half of her sandwich. She arched her back and rubbed her hands over her sore muscles, then pulled herself forward in the chair before she tried to stand. She exhaled and grinned at me, knowing that I was poised and ready to help her if she fell, but I also knew she wouldn't accept my help. She pushed off the arms of the chair and stood.

"Oh, my," she gasped.

"What?" I said quickly.

"Um. I think I peed my pants." She started to cry and I felt awful for her.

"It's okay, bird. You just go change, and I'll take care of it."

"It's not okay, Eric. I'm a grown woman and I just wet my pants."

I sighed. "You really don't have any control over it at this point. It'll be better soon."

"Oh, shut up. You have no idea what I'm going through."

She was pouting, and I knew she wasn't really mad at me. She took a step towards our bedroom, and suddenly the floor below her was wet.

"Shit, Sookie. I don't think you peed your pants."

~~**~~**~~  
**SPOV**  
We took my car to St. Francis Medical Center in Monroe because I couldn't get in and out of the Vette anymore. We needed to buy another car, because you obviously couldn't put a car seat in a Corvette, but Eric had been putting it off. He was keeping the Vette, but he still couldn't bring himself to get anything else. Sometimes I felt like I was married to a child instead of getting ready to be a mother.

We went through triage in the Emergency Room, which even though my obstetrician had explained to me, seemed completely insane. They checked my vital signs and signed me into the E.R. before taking me to the labor and delivery unit. An O.B. nurse named Becki continued to interview me and then eventually, after what seemed like forever, she checked to see how far I was dilated.

"Oh, four and a half," Becki said excitedly. "Looks like you're delivering tonight."

I was nervous, and this whole having a baby thing was new to me, but I could have told her that. My contractions had started in the car and were coming about four minutes apart before she got down to looking at my lady bits. Eric was rather pale, with sort of a shell shocked expression on his face.

"Eric, you okay?"

"What? Yeah. I'm fine."

I wanted to laugh, he was anything but fine.

Becki talked to me about my birth plan, which was very simple, hook my ass up to every drug you have. She told me that since it was the weekend, the on call doctor from my obstetrician's office was on the way. My regular doctor was a female, Dr. Ludwig, but Becki told us that Dr. Lee was on call. I had seen him for a couple of my monthly appointments, and I liked him just fine.

A few minutes later Becki came back and told us that Dr. Lee had asked her to call the anesthesiologist in so that we could get going with the epidural when I needed it. Pam highly recommended the epidural and told me whatever I did, not to look at the needle, just let the doctors do their thing.

Eric had been a little hesitant about my plan to be shot full of pain killers and nerve blocking agents, but after I explained that until he could physically experience pregnancy, labor and child birth, his concerns were considered, but mine won out.

Everything moved quickly once Dr. Lee arrived. He took a look and feel for himself, which made Eric all kinds of squirmy, and made me giggle, because I knew Eric was just freaked out by everyone getting between my legs. Dr. Lee said I was progressing nicely, and he'd be back to check on me later.

The anesthesiologist came in and introduced himself as Dr. Dupont. He was close to Eric's and my age, with a kind smile. He talked to us about risks involved with the procedure, but all I really heard was a lot of blah blah blah. I was distracted by the needle sitting on the surgical tray. I shouldn't have looked. It was huge, and I'd heard that it hurt like hell, but I already hurt like hell every time I had a contraction. I had a fetal heart monitor strapped around my gigantic belly and an I.V. attached to my arm, so I couldn't really move around when the pain hit, and really, I just wanted it to stop.

I signed the waiver and hugged my pillow while I leaned forward and Dr. Dupont lined that syringe up with my spine, and let me tell you, that was some amazing stuff. I moved back onto the bed so I was lying down and within no time, I couldn't feel my body from my waist down. I took a deep breath and realized that I wasn't feeling contractions any more. Becki and Dr. Dupont told me to relax and get some rest, and then left Eric and I to be alone for awhile.

Eric paced around the room and I took a nap. He was still pacing when I woke up about an hour later. We sat together talking about nothing at all. I think we were both still in awe that this was really happening. Eric looked a little pale, and I was worried about him freaking out, but he kept reassuring me that he was fine.

I wasn't in pain, but I wasn't entirely comfortable either, and the fact that I couldn't move my legs was starting to freak me out. Becki came back into the room and checked to see how things were progressing. She seemed kind of surprised as she told us that I was dilated to ten, and she was going to get the doctor because it was time to start pushing.

She called for the doctor and began setting up some things on the other side of the room. Dr. Lee joined us and took a look at everything for himself. Becki finished what she was doing and came to stand on my side. Dr. Lee asked Eric to stand my other side near my hip, which made me happy, because I really didn't want him to see what was going to happen down below.

Becki offered to tilt a mirror that hung on the ceiling so I could see what was happening, and I said something like, "Oh, hell no."

Eric smiled and held my hand. When I had another contraction, Dr. Lee told me to push and we got down to business. I pushed and squeezed Eric's hand while he and the nurse held my legs and Dr. Lee directed traffic, or whatever between my legs. I still couldn't feel anything from the waist down really, so it was all pretty strange.

Becki watched the monitor and would say, "Here comes another contraction."

Then I would push really hard and feel exhausted and fall back on the bed. The epidural wasn't wearing off per say, but I was really beginning to feel the pressure and the stretching that my body was enduring.

Eric didn't look good at all, and he had gotten quiet. Between contractions I asked if he was okay.

"I'm good. What about you?" He wiped some sweat from my brow with a cool damp cloth.

"You're not good. You look sick. Do you need to sit down or something?"

"I'm fine, Sookie." He laughed. "You're hooked up to an I.V., you have a tube coming out of your back, and you're numb from the waist down. You're sweating like crazy and you can't catch your breath. I'm fine but you're scaring the hell out of me."

Another contraction began before I could say anything. When I caught my breath before the next one started, I said, "Seriously, if you pass out I'm kicking your ass."

"I'm not passing out," he laughed and shook his head, flexing his fingers while I wasn't clamping my hand down on them. He used his other hand to tuck some hair behind my ear and leaned down to kiss my cheek, "I just hate seeing you like this. I want to be able to make it better, and I don't know what to do."

"I'm fine, Eric. We may never have sex again, but I'm fine."

I tried to smile at him, but got hit with a contraction. Dr. Lee started talking about seeing a head, and I thought maybe I was going to be the one passing out.

After the next push, Dr. Lee sounded excited as he said, "Just a little harder, that's the nose pushing through."

I looked at Eric and started to cry.

"What? Shit. Are you okay?" He was squeezing my hand and looking at Becki, who was patting my arm and telling me everything was fine. She was clearly on the same page with me, but it wasn't fine.

My voice was rising as I started to panic, "That can't be just a nose. It hurts so much. Jesus, there are still shoulders to come out!"

"It's okay, Sookie. Just breathe." He was trying to sound calm, but I could tell he wasn't.

Dr. Lee chuckled from down below and another contraction came. He murmured words of encouragement, but I really had no idea what he was saying. I focused on Eric and his lips, watching them move as he told me over and over to push and breathe and that it would be okay. I couldn't look at his eyes because he looked as terrified as I felt, and I couldn't look at the nurse because, well, I just didn't know her, so I stared at Eric.

After another push, the Dr. Lee said, "Okay, Sookie. This is it. One more push should do it."

I watched the monitor and felt the tightening of my stomach and pushed for all I was worth. The pressure on my pelvis changed, and then suddenly disappeared.

"Perfect!" Dr. Lee called out. "It's a girl!"

Becki wrapped her in a receiving blanket and wiped off a little of the white goop that was covering her before bringing her up by my chest. Eric was glassy eyed, looking at our daughter like he'd never seen anything so beautiful. I held her in my arms, deliriously happy and overwhelmed at the same time.

Eric kissed my forehead, "She's beautiful and perfect, Sookie."

I couldn't take my eyes off of her. "She looks like a Gabrielle. What do you think?"

"She does. Gabi it is." He squeezed my hand and drew my eyes up to his. "I love you, Sookie. This, what you just did, was absolutely amazing."

There was a lump in my throat, and all I could do was nod my head as tears spilled out of my eyes. Becki used our camera and took a picture of us holding Gabi, then asked quietly if she could take her to the other side of the room to be weighed and to run some routine tests. I nodded, and both Eric and I kissed her on the head before letting her go.

Eric was moving between standing by my side grinning and taking pictures of our daughter as Becki measured her and did basic tests.

Doctor Lee checked my vitals and made some adjustments on the computer that was right next to me. He smiled and patted my hand.

"Alright, Sookie, that was the easy part. Now that you're tired out we get to do it all over again. Ready to deliver her sister?"

00oo00oo00oo00

**A/N:**  
BWAHAHAHAHA! Yes, I'm well aware that I just dropped an massive cliffie. It is part of my evil plan for total domination. Just kidding.  
Thanks so much for reading! I felt like Eric needed a little girl to twist him around her finger, and then I figured, what would make him seriously flip his shit? TWO! Let me know what you think!

Even before I had this chapter finished, A Redhead Thing sent me these lyrics from the song Tough Little Boys by Gary Allan. It's so perfect for Eric.

Scared me to death  
When you took your first steps  
And I'd fall every time you fell down  
Your first day of school, I cried like a fool  
And I followed your school bus to town

Well I didn't cry, when Old Yeller died  
At least not in front of my friends  
But when tough little boys grow up to be dads  
They turn into big babies again

Well I'm a grown man  
But as strong as I am  
Sometimes it's hard to believe  
How one little girl, with little blonde curls  
Could totally terrify me

http:/www(d0t)/lyrics/allan-gary/tough-little-boys-10305(d0t)html

And, according to Google, there really is a Shogun in Shreveport.  
Shogun Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar  
http:/shogunofshreveport(d0t)com/


	30. Dream a Little Dream

**Title:** Leap of Faith

**Chapter 30: Dream a Little Dream**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the Southern Vampire characters or stories. All copyright belongs to Charlaine Harris. I just take them out of the box to play.

**A/N: **

**HOLY BALLS** Major computer failure after I got this in the doc manager this morning. A gazillion apologies for the delay. (If you read HE, I'll be posting from home later tonight to avoid this problem tomorrow, cuz I'm pretty sure the server is not fixed.)

OMG you guys, I feel sick saying this, but this is it. The last chapter. There are some plot bunnies for outtakes hopping around in my head (thanks **LB123**), so this isn't the last that you'll see of these two, but as for LOF *sob* this is it.

K - I need to do some thank you's now before I'm a wreck.

Thank you all so much for reading, reviewing and taking this crazy journey with me. It has been amazing from this end, I assure you. It would not have been possible if not for the help from my treasured betas **S. Meadows** and **A Redhead Thing** and my gchat brainstorm buddy **Seastarr08.** These gals have been been the greatest support system I could have asked for. Thanks, and a big hug, to **LindasyK,** who was there on gchat to hold me when I finished this chapter. And to the twitterverse gals - thanks for making every day more enjoyable. We are certainly a merry band of madwomen!

Finally, I'd also like to give a big shout out to **yo-diggity-yo-yo** and **JulieKohler**. Thank you for sharing your lives as Marine wives with me and the LOF family. You are two of the strongest women I know.

I'm starting to cry, so I'll just go now and let you read. Thanks, for everything.

- T

00ooo00ooo00

**Birth Annoncement - The News Star - Monroe, Louisiana**  
Eric and Sookie Northman of Bon Temps, are proud to announce the birth of identical twin daughters, Gabrielle Octavia and Alexandra Adele Northman at St. Francis Medical Center. Gabrielle was born December 14th, 2010 at 8:42 p.m.; she weighed 6 lbs. 8 oz., and was 19 inches long at birth. Alexandra was born December 14th, 2010 at 9:07 p.m.; she weighed 6 lbs. 5 oz., and was 19 inches long at birth. Mother, father and girls are all doing fine!

00ooo00ooo00

**EPOV**  
Jason, Tara and Hoyt came to the hospital, along with Pam and Andre. They stayed in the waiting room the whole time Sookie was in labor. It was almost 10 p.m. when all three girls were ready for visitors. They rushed in with balloons and flowers for Sookie and the girls. I swear I saw a tear in Pam's eye, but she turned away before I could be sure.

Sookie and the girls spent a day and a half in the hospital, although she didn't get much rest. Every waking moment seemed to be filled with one well wisher or another coming by to give us their congratulations. It was great, amazing really, but we all needed some time just as our new little family.

We spent the first two days after returning from the hospital in a self induced lock-down. We didn't answer the phone or accept any visitors. It was _our_ time, and we enjoyed every sleepless minute of it.

On the third day, Gran's friends began coming over in the afternoons to help Sookie when I went to work. Sookie's hormones were still going crazy, and she sobbed uncontrollably over their kindness.

Pam had called our parents while Sookie was in the hospital, but they didn't make it back to Bon Temps until the girls were over a month old. My mother refused to be called 'grandmother' and wanted to be called by her first name. Sookie got that crazy smile on her face and I waited for her head to spin around, or for smoke to come out of her ears.

She looked straight at my mother and said, "No. You're the only grandmother they have. We can come up with a nickname, like MeMaw or Nonna, but they are not calling you Henrika. They'll be in kindergarten before they can even pronounce it."

My father watched in amazement and squeezed my shoulder, in full approval of Sookie, and I was shocked. They stayed at a hotel in Shreveport and were on a flight out of the country within forty-eight hours. Pam had warned me that they only stayed two days when Beatrice was born, so I wasn't expecting any more.

Pam and Tara took the girls to get their ears pierced when they two months old. Sookie and I had laughed and told them if they needed it done to tell the girls apart, they were in charge. Sookie didn't mind that they were getting their ears pierced, but she hadn't planned on doing it until much later.

We met them at the mall, having given the girls preemptive doses of acetaminophen for the pain, and handed off our two angels to their aunties while we went to Starbucks in the center court. The girls were returned to us as crying, screaming messes with adorable, sparkling starter earrings; Gabi's were green, while Ali's were pearl.

Pam was proud of herself. "See. Gabi equals green."

I gathered Ali into my arms and Sookie looked near tears as she took Gabi out of the stroller.

"Oh baby. Mommy's here. You just remember that mean Aunties Pammy and Tara did this to you. Mommy doesn't need green earrings to tell you apart."

Sookie went back to work part time after a three month maternity leave. When we found out at the ultrasound that we were having twins, Sookie and I started talking about whether or not she wanted to stay home with the girls or go back to work. She decided that she wanted to work, but maybe not quite so much. She figured she would need to get out of the house and spend time being an adult in addition to being a mom. She knew that she wanted to spend time at home with the babies, but also that she loved working with needy families, and she didn't want to give that up. She talked to her supervisor about going to part time when she came back from maternity leave. He told her he would have to look at the budget, which was the answer to everything at the county offices.

About a month before the girls were born, he came to Sookie with an offer. If she was willing to switch from working with foster families to working with families at risk of having their children placed in foster care, there was a part time job available. She accepted whole heartedly, and when she returned to the office, she worked three days a week. We lucked out and didn't need to find child care, because Gran's friends from the Descendants of the Glorious Dead had volunteered to come to the house to watch the girls when I had to work at the bar. Their generosity had a tendency to make Sookie cry,

Everything went amazingly well. The girls grew and changed, and as they did, they wrapped me around their little fingers. I was a push over when it came to them. I would do anything to make them stop crying and would give them anything they asked for. Sookie found herself shaking her head at me quite often.

Around eleven months, the girls started walking within a week of each other. Ali was first, pulling herself up on the couch and taking two little steps before crashing onto her diaper clad bottom. Several days later she was up to four or five steps at a time when Gabi took her first steps too. She pulled herself up with the toilet and grinned like crazy as she took two steps towards the bathtub. Both girls loved bath time. I got a great picture of them standing together peering over the edge of the tub as it filled with water and bubbles.

Around the same time that they began walking, we took our first major family road trip. We loaded Sookie's new S.U.V. and drove to Jacksonville to spend Thanksgiving with Cal, and a very pregnant Soph. She was seven months along, and they couldn't wait. If the Marines didn't change his schedule, Cal would even be home when the baby was born.

The girls ran roughshod over Cal, and I thought it was hysterical. They were clumsily walking, grabbing knick-knacks off every surface, drooling and chewing on him, pulling his chest hairs when they tried to hug him, and I loved it. He had laughed so hard he cried when we told him the news that Sookie was having twin girls, and now he was expecting one of his own. I figured Ali and Gabi were just giving him a taste of what was to come.

We went to a beach party while we were there, leaving the girls with Thalia for the evening. Twinings and Jessica were there. I was a little surprised they were still together, but it was a pleasant surprise. All of the guys were there, even a few others who had retired like I had. We reminisced about old times, told new stories and joked around the way only Marines could. Cal and I got shit faced drunk, while Sookie and Soph looked on. The morning after, I remembered why I didn't drink like that anymore. I felt like complete crap, and Sookie showed no mercy, putting the girls in the bed to climb all over me and squeal in my ear.

Sookie planned a first birthday party to be rivaled by none. The girls got an insane amount of presents. Among the loot, were identical outfits, Elmo dolls in multiple sizes, two toy chests and a sandbox. We held it at the Dog House, and Stan and Rasul cooked up a storm. There was an under the sea theme that might have made Walt Disney gag, and a bunch of cupcakes shaped together to look like a mermaid. Pam warned me that the neon colored frosting would not digest at all and come out the same color in their diapers. I thought she was nuts, but was thankful the next day when Sookie called out, "What the hell?" while she changed a poopy diaper.

Christmas with one year old twins was insanity. I had been telling Sookie not to go overboard, but clearly, she, and Santa, never got the message. Our stockings were overflowing with small items, and there was a truckload of toys under the tree. I had no idea when Sookie had found the time to wrap everything, let alone where she had hidden everything in the house. The girls were at the age that they found the wrapping paper and boxes way more fun than most of the gifts they unwrapped.

One of the highlights of the day for me was letting the girls try the cranberry sauce at lunch. It was that jelly stuff that held the shape of the can,and it was a Northman tradition. Sookie hated the stuff and insisted on making a batch of fresh cranberry sauce. Jason liked the fresh kind too. It was a Sackhouse vs. Northman thing, and it hadn't changed in all the years I'd known them.

Sookie gave me the evil eye across the table as I gave each of our girls a little taste. Gabi curled up her nose in disgust and shook her head. Ali, on the other hand, gobbled it up with a grin and looked at me like she wanted more. Both Sookie and Jason groaned as Pam clapped her hands in glee.

Every other month I spent a long weekend in Jackson checking on the bar and signing off on things for Thalia. We did a lot of things by phone and email, but some things had to be dealt with in person. I lucked out and happened to be in town when Soph went into labor, and I got to meet McKenzie Grace Norris when she was less than two hours old.

I sat with Cal in the apartment later that night, sipping a beer. He was exhausted, and on his way home for the night, but he took me up on the offer of a celebratory drink and cigar. When his beer was finished, he set the bottle down and looked at me.

"I had no idea."

"I know." I sipped my beer and waited for him to continue. I knew what he was thinking.

"I'll fucking kill anyone that hurts her."

"Yup."

"My fucking chest hurts thinking about it."

"It doesn't go away."

"Fuck, Eric. We're screwed."

I nodded in agreement, smiling and thinking about my own girls. The desire to protect them, all three of them, overwhelmed me sometimes. They were everything to me.

~.~.~.~

When the girls were born, our sex life had taken the strange turn that I guessed happens to most first time parents, and maybe more so to the parents of twins. It took Sookie a little while to get her groove back, but after the doctor gave us the thumbs up, she was ready to go. The problem was finding a time when one baby wasn't hungry, shitting, or crying. We got creative; quickies whenever the twins were both asleep, no matter how quick it had to be, the occasional nooner in the office at the bar, and my favorite, waking each other in the middle of the night after getting one or both of the girls back to sleep. I'll never forget the first time I woke up to the feel of Sookie's lips wrapped around me. I had struggled to believe it wasn't a dream, but it was too real and too good, and when she moaned as I pulled her hair, I knew it was real.

I was learning not to swear, well, to swear less at least, and had given up on privacy when the girls began walking. I mean, I could lock the door, but it made it hard to concentrate on taking a crap when there were two mini she-devils pounding on the door screaming and crying.

I swear, the tears of those two girls could bring me to my knees. They could hardly speak and I was caving to their wills. Sookie said I was spoiling them, but I figured I could be the strict dad when they got older. For now, I was a man living in a house full of women who couldn't stand to see any of them cry. I told Sookie that we needed to think about buying another 'Vette so they could each have one eventually. If I remember correctly, she had called me a fucking lunatic and walked out of the room.

I was so wrapped around their fingers that there were days when I didn't recognize myself. The memories of vicious recon missions and weeks spent sleeping with my gun were so far removed from my life that they were like the history of another man. I sat awake nights, usually rocking Gabi since she was the night owl, thinking about my life. I didn't understand why I had gone through everything that I had, but if it was all necessary to bring me to this point, I would do it again in a heart beat.

I was already thinking about the rules I was going to set for the girls when they got older; their skirts and shorts would have to come down to mid calf, no bikini's, or bathing suits at all if I had my way, and no dating until they were married. I looked into sending them to an all girls' school, but the closest one was in Shreveport.

They were about eighteen months old, when Pam and Andre left Bea with us for a long weekend. He had a sales conference in Las Vegas, and she was tagging along. I negotiated a four day weekend of our own over New Years. Pam tried to argue that because we had two kids that she only had to keep them for two days, but Andre told her to get over it and said they would love to watch the kids for us since they would both be off work for the holidays. I booked tickets to an all-inclusive resort in Can Cun before Sookie could tell me no. We would miss the girls, but we needed some time alone.

**SPOV**  
I was tired, and I didn't want to fight with Eric about this trip he had planned for us, but I really didn't want to go. Oh, I wanted to go to Mexico. I wanted to lie in the sun and not have anyone pulling on my pants legs or asking me for juice, but I didn't want to leave the girls.

I had a minor melt down to Tara about the trip when she met me for lunch one day. What if something happened and both Eric and I were on the same flight to Mexico? The girls would lose both parents. Tara had been unbelievably calm, for her. She didn't laugh hysterically or call me crazy.

"Sookie, it's pretty normal to freak out about leaving your kids the first time. And two parents fly on the same plane without their kids all the time. Yes, something could happen, but more likely, nothing will."

I pouted a bit more, and she pulled out the big guns. "When's the last time you and Eric really fucked? Like full on EricandSookie sex?"

I smiled at the expression she used. Tara had shown up at the house uninvited more than once during the course of our friendship, only to encounter the sounds of our love making before she could turn around and leave.

I thought about it, and sadly, it had been months since Eric and I had been able to fool around without worrying about little ears hearing us. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't like we were silent, or monks, but we had definitely kept things quieter than we had been in the past.

I sighed. "It's been a while."

"Then dust off the bikini and go."

I laughed at that. There wasn't a chance in hell I was wearing a bikini, but I had a nice black one-piece that made my stomach look okay and actually held up my breasts.

"Okay. You're sure it's not selfish? Leaving the girls with Pam, I mean?"

"Sookie, go. Get fucked, get tanned, come home feeling good. Doctor Tara's orders."

When I told Eric that night that I was on-board with his plans, he'd laughed and told me he had already booked the trip. _Smug bastard._

A couple hours later, he climbed into bed and woke me with gentle kisses after putting Gabi to bed following one of their late night bonding sessions. Then we made love, careful not to wake anyone up. Lying together when we finished, I giggled, thinking about the conversation with Tara.

"What?"

"Nothing. I can't wait for our trip."

Time flew by. Thanksgiving came and went, and then it was time for the girls second birthday party. It had a ladybug theme, with red and black decorations everywhere. Eric thought the party and the decorations were over the top again, and I have to admit, I _might_ have made him hang up extra streamers so I could look at his butt while he was up the ladder.

Christmas was a blur. We were busy attending holiday parties, and Eric was putting in extra hours because of the parties people were hosting at the bar, not to mention packing and celebrating with the girls. Of course the week before Christmas I ended up at the doctors' office with a urinary tract infection. The only good thing about it was that it hadn't happened while Eric and I were on vacation. I took my medicine and guzzled cranberry juice, cringing every time I went to the bathroom until it cleared up.

The morning of our flight, Eric packed the car, and I sat in the nursery crying as I told the girls I would see them soon. Just like when Eric had left for Iraq, I couldn't bring myself to say 'goodbye.' We were dropping them off at Pam's on the way to the airport, but I wanted to do my sobbing in private.

Eric came into the room and squatted down, putting his arms around the three of us. "Who wants to see Auntie Pam and Cousin Bea?"

The girls were practically out the door before I could react and I shot him a dirty look. Apparently Pam and Bea were more exciting than crying mom.

"Come on, Bird. It will be fine. We'll call as soon as we get there. You can Skype with them if you need to."

"Aren't you going to miss them?" I sniped.

"Yes. I'm going to miss them like crazy, but Sookie, I miss you too."

I started crying again and practically threw myself at him as I wrapped my arms around his waist. I could hear the girls in the front room arguing as they put on their shoes. With a sigh I leaned my forehead on his.

"I love you."

"I love you, too. What do you say we go away together?"

"I'd love to."

~.~.~.~

The plane touched down, and it was Eric that was the first one to pull out his phone, with newly acquired international service, to call Pam and the girls. We hadn't been gone long enough for them to understand we wouldn't be home at bedtime so the girls weren't upset at all; it was Eric that looked twitchy. I missed them too, but it was strangely good to see his discomfort. He'd been so gung-ho about taking the trip, and he said that he was going to miss the girls, but the reality of it made me all kinds of hot for him. Or maybe it was the fact that we were about to spend almost four entire days in very little clothes without little ones to interrupt or distract us.

We were given a glass of champagne when we checked into the resort. The desk clerk gave us an overview of the property and talked about the amenities they offered, but I didn't hear much of what she said as Eric's hand rubbed small, hot circles on my back.

We made our way to the room and barely had the door closed before Eric was pulling my shirt off. My hands went straight for his waist band, and we were laughing as we tangled together, moving to the bed and removing each others clothes.

In no time, he was poised above me, looking down, his eyes dark. He lowered his head and kissed me, while I slid my hands over his back. He shifted, moving his lips down my neck and along my shoulder as his hands found their way to my breasts. He cupped them, gently caressing the sides with his thumbs. His mouth moved down my chest, and his fingers began twisting and pulling my nipples which were already straining towards his mouth.

I moaned loudly when his tongue finally circled one, and his lips closed over it. He sucked lightly, then alternated between light nips and warm strokes of his tongue. His hand slid down my stomach and between my legs. I arched into him, but his fingers teased, stroking the inside of my thigh and the curve of my hip. Then he suddenly dipped a long finger into me, and I gasped as he removed it and went back to touching everywhere but my center.

"Eric, please," I breathed.

He paused in licking the soft skin under one of my breasts. "Please, what?"

"Please touch me."

"Like this?" he asked as two fingers moved back into my center, slowly pumping in and out.

"Yes." I began rocking against him. "Like that." It felt good, amazing really, his fingers and mouth working together on my body.

Then he stopped, moving his hand to his mouth, and I watched him lick my wetness from his fingers. He had to have seen the confusion and loss flash across my face. His beautiful eyes bore into mine, the gaze emotionally holding me to him as much as his arms physically did the same.

"Tell me what you want, lover."

"I want you," I whispered, meeting his eyes and sliding my fingers into his hair.

His lips were a breath away from mine, and his hand was warm, resting against my mound. "How do you want me?"

He was so close, that when my tongue darted out to lick my lips before I spoke, I grazed his as well. I whimpered, and then purposely touched his lips with my tongue again. His eyes closed for a heartbeat, and his hips jerked against me, but when he opened his eyes he was once again in control.

I angled my head, trailing my lips along his neck towards his ear, then whispered, "I want you to fuck me until I scream. And then I want you to do it again."

I heard a deep growl from his chest as his lips crashed against mine. His fingers pushed into me a few times before I felt his hips shift and he thrust into me. My breath caught, as my body reacted to being filled so swiftly; when he began to move, I heard myself moaning and crying out each time he drove into me.

He wasn't quiet either, chanting my name and grunting as he concentrated on doing what I had asked him to do. He hooked my knees with his elbows, pushing them back, striking deeper with every move. My hands covered his ass, feeling his muscles move as he worked me; I felt my back arch and my muscles tense. He felt it too, and brought a hand between us, pressing on my swollen clit, and I came, screaming his name, as my orgasm crashed through my body. When my head cleared, he was still pumping into me. I leaned forward and put my mouth on his nipple, wetting it with my tongue and scraping it with my teeth. He cried a long drawn out out, "Yessssssss," as he found his release.

We were a sweaty mess when he rolled us over, and I snuggled into his shoulder while we caught our breath.

"Give me a minute," he whispered, kissing my hair.

"What?"

"You told me you wanted me to make you scream, and then do it again."

"That I did." I laughed, and climbed over so I was straddling his waist. I leaned forward, kissing his chest and collarbone. He had a beautiful chest.

"Sookie, what are you doing?"

"Mm. Using my time wisely."

"Fuck," he muttered. "You are very wise, Mrs. Northman."

He was true to his word, making me scream repeatedly over the long weekend. The trip was a blur of sex and sun with a little food and sleep mixed in. Before I knew it, we were finishing with another round of shower sex before we needed to catch our shuttle to the airport. I had to admit, I had needed this time with him more than I thought. As we waited for our flight, I realized that I was more in love with him than ever, and that I was the luckiest women on the planet to have Eric as my husband and the father of my children.

~.~.~.~

_Two months. _I had missed my period for two months. I came out of the bathroom stall at work, still shocked at my own stupidity. I washed my hands and headed out of the bathroom, then down to my car with a wave at the receptionist. After closing the door, I hit speed dial and slumped back into the seat, waiting for the call to connect.

"Hey Sookie! How are you?"

"You forgot."

"What the hell?"

"You. Forgot. Whenever anyone we know is on antibiotics you remind them that they cancel out your birth control for the entire month, but you forgot this time."

Amelia laughed so loud I had to pull the phone away from my ear for a second. "Hang on, I think I pissed myself." She breathed into the phone for a second. "Are you blaming me for you getting knocked up? I think maybe Eric is more responsible for that than I am."

I giggled. "Yeah, Eric is definitely to blame."

"Are you okay? You were talking about trying again soon."

"I know, but I wanted to actually try! Now we don't need to. And, shit, I really didn't want three kids in diapers."

"Well, then get working on potty training. You've got what, seven months?"

"Thanks. I hadn't thought of that," I snarked.

"Ha ha. Love ya babe. I can't wait til you tell Eric. He's going to be so excited!"

I groaned. "I know. He wants a house full of kids. I told him we'd try for a boy and that we'd talk if it wasn't."

"Well. Good luck with that." She snorted. "I have to go, Tray just got home from the lunch rush and he's getting naked."

"Oh, god, you didn't need to tell me that. Later."

"Later. Congrats!"

I exhaled. Eric was going to be thrilled. I was thrilled too really, but I was surprised, and I didn't really like surprises. I finished my home visits in the afternoon and drove home. Arlene was there with her kids, and everyone glued to the television.

Arlene and I weren't particularly close anymore, but she liked to bring the kids over a couple of times a month, and she would relieve whichever DGD granny was at the house and watch the girls until I got home. We chatted briefly and then she loaded up her car with her kids, calling out goodbyes to the girls as she left. Humming to myself, I threw the ingredients together like it was second nature.

Eric came home after doing paperwork at the bar, and the girls rushed him, each clinging to a leg. He looked around and smiled. "Stackhouse chicken? What's the occasion, lover?"

"Nothing special. I just felt like making it."

"It's a good surprise." He squatted down and hugged the girls. "What did you do this afternoon?"

"They played with Lisa and Coby," I answered as they talked at once, and he looked at me for translation.

"Ooh, fun!" He picked them up, one under each arm, and carried them to the living room while I finished getting dinner ready.

We spent a typical night watching Dora video's and playing horsey with Eric as their prize stallion, then gave the girls baths and read stories before bed. We were at a point now that we could get them both to bed at the same time, but it was pretty likely that they would stay up, snuggled in one of their small beds playing until they fell asleep.

I went into the bathroom and got ready for bed while Eric checked his emails one last time for the night. I finished up and returned to our room, stretching out on the bed like it was an ordinary night, and waited for him to see what I had left on the counter in the bathroom.

He walked through our room and into the bathroom, leaving the door open as he began his routine. I heard him going to the bathroom and flush toilet. I knew his moves by heart and held my breath because I knew he was standing at the counter getting ready to brush his teeth.

His frame filled the doorway and he stood there, back lit by the light in the bathroom, holding the home pregnancy test stick in his hand. It was the expensive one, with "pregnant" reading in the window. I figured if the ones with the lines were tricky for me, he would be totally confused since he'd never seen one before.

He stood there, looking at me, then the stick in his hand, and then back at me. "Sookie?"

"What did you find?"

"You tell me."

"Come over here. I can't see it."

He laughed, but came over to sit on the bed by me.

"Wow. That looks like a home pregnancy test. Look at that! Someone's pregnant!"

He swallowed hard, still holding the test in his hand. "How? Fuck. I mean. Wow."

I would have been nervous about his reaction, but he was grinning like a fool. "Antibiotics and birth control don't mix, especially not with a whole lot of sex in Mexico." I grinned. "Surprise!"

"Oh, bird. This is great!" He pulled me into his arms and kissed me slowly, showing me how excited he was to have another baby.

"You're just excited because my boobs are going to get huge again," I managed to say between kisses.

He laughed, pulling me into a tight hug. "I'm not going to lie, that does make me all kinds of excited."

~.~.~.~

I felt like everything was happening much faster this time; my pelvis was shifting and constantly ached, my breasts were growing at an alarming rate, and I began to show right away, but for the most part it was textbook. And since I had very little morning sickness this time, it seemed almost easy.

Everyone speculated about whether or not we would have a boy this time. Some thought that the lack of morning sickness meant it could be a boy, others said that because of how I was carrying my pregnancy bump, it had to be a girl.

Dr. Ludwig laughed, "You know what all of that means? Absolutely nothing. You're having a baby and we won't know anything more until your ultrasound, and that's only if the baby decides to show us their privates."

The girls were at Pam's when we went for the ultrasound appointment. I drank the required water on the way to the office, and Eric and I sat in the lobby waiting for our name to be called. He was nervous, bouncing his leg and massaging my shoulder.

"You're doing it again."

"What?" He looked at me innocently.

"You're being a spaz. You need to relax. I think I'm going to have to get you some Valium for the delivery room this time."

"I'm not nervous." He laughed. "I'm excited. I can't wait to find out. I'm pretty sure it's a boy this time."

"Oh really? Why do you say that?"

"Just a feeling, and really, god couldn't be that cruel, could he?"

A nurse called our name, and I stood to take his hand. "Let's go find out big guy."

We followed her to an exam room, and she told me to sit on the bed and the tech would be in shortly. We waited a few minutes, and a petite woman that reminded me of Amelia came in to join us.

"Hi! You must be the Northman's. I'm Jen. So, you've done this before, but from what I understand last time we were checking out two babies. Just one this time, right?"

"As far as we know," I answered.

"Cool. Let's take a look. I need to take a bunch of measurements, and then we'll get to the fun part. Sound good?"

"Great." I smiled and lied back on the table, sliding my pants and underwear down on my hips while I lifted my shirt.

She put a towel over my hips to protect my pants and held up the gel bottle that helped conduct the images that the wand would project onto the screen. "We warm this up, but it's still a shock. Ready?"

I nodded, and she squirted the liquid onto my belly. She worked for a bit, poking me and moving the wand around on my belly. She paused to let us look at the images now and then and let us listen to the heart beat. She worked for a while with one hand on the computer and the other on the ultrasound wand, recording each measurement three times to get an average, saying that everything looked good. Then she sat back, smiling, and raised her eyebrows at us. "Do you want to know?"

"Yes," Eric answered quickly, and I laughed.

"Okay." She shifted the wand lower on my stomach so we could see a clear view of the babies' abdomen. "Baby is really cooperating, this is a great view. See the pelvis right here?" She traced a finger over the lines on the screen. We agreed, and she continued. "Now see this?"

I squinted. I knew what I thought it looked like, but I wasn't saying a word in case I was wrong. I glanced at Eric, he was leaning forward over my body, staring at the screen, then his eyes came to mine, questioning. I knew he was having the same thoughts that I was. We both looked at Jen, waiting for confirmation.

She grinned. "Did you pick out boy names? You're going to need one."

Eric's smile stretched across his gorgeous face. "We have a couple in mind."

"But we won't decide until we meet him." I finished.

"That's cool. Let me print you a couple of pictures, and you're all set." She made a few keystrokes on the computer, and the printer began to work. She tore off the strip of paper when it finished and handed it to Eric with a smile. "Congratulations. Take your time getting cleaned up and be sure to stop at the desk on your way out."

I wiped the liquid that had grown cold off my stomach, then pulled my pants up and my shirt down. I sat on the end of the bed grinning at Eric. "A boy, huh?"

He nodded. "Come here." He reached a hand towards me, and I took it, stepping over to him and climbing into his lap. His hands made their way into my hair, and he kissed me softly, then wrapped his arms around my back, holding me tight against his chest.

"What?" I whispered and sat back to look at him.

He ran a hand over his face and shook his head. "I'm just trying to figure out what I did to deserve you and our family." He paused, and continued quietly. "I know you think it's all in the past, but thank you, for having the faith in me to take me back, for letting me love you, for everything."

"Oh, Eric. You saved me and put me back together; I was lost without you."

"I love you, Sookie, more than I ever thought possible."

"I know," I said, tearing up. "I love you, too. To the moon and back," I said, quoting the girls' favorite book, _Guess How Much I Love You_. "Now take me home so I can get out of this bra."

"Oh, I'll get you out of that bra." He waggled his eyebrows.

I stood and went to the door. "Just get me into some Dairy Queen on the way home, okay?"

"Anything for my son."

"Oh god, you're going to keep saying that aren't you?"

"I like the sound of it."

"I love you, Northman. You big goofball."

He winked and held the door open for me. "I love you too, Northman."

We checked out at the desk and climbed into the car. I sighed and leaned my head back on the seat rest. When I went home to Bon Temps for Gran's funeral, I could have never have imagined the changes in my life over the last few years. I was blissfully happy after practically giving up hope on even finding relative happiness. Eric and I had overcome our heartbreak stronger than we'd ever been before, and he'd given me the most amazing children with yet another on the way. Our fingers were joined on the center console, and his thumb made circles on the back of my hand.

The motion of the car must have lulled me to sleep, because I woke up to Eric leaning over me to unhook my seat-belt and carrying me into the house.

"Hey, I wanted ice cream." I managed to mumble as I snuggled into his arms.

"I'll bring you some when I get the girls."

He put me on the bed, pulling off my shoes and unhooking my bra, then slid the straps off my arms and pulled it out from under my shirt. He stretched out on the bed, pushing me onto my side and spooning himself behind me. I sighed, content in his arms, wondering if it was really possible that all of my dreams had come true.  
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**A/N:**  
One last time, thank you to everyone reading, reviewing, and falling in love with this Eric.

As **A Redhead Thing** says, "Dress Blue Eric Forever!"


	31. Future TakeYou Say it's Your Birthday

** Leap of Faith - Future Take**

**You Say it's Your Birthday!**

**Partner in Crime (beta): LindsayK /scribeninja  
**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Southern Vampires characters or stories. All copyright belongs to Charlaine Harris. I just like to make them get a little crazy.

**A/N:**

HAPPY BIRTHDAY (tomorrow) **A REDHEAD THING**! This is for you. You are the Mason to my Dixon and my ginger-veggie-baby momma, not to mention my comma momma and my lady of the Lake. In other words, you complete me. I hope you have a fan-freakin-tastic birthday, Matzo. LOVE YOU!

*Surpsirse!* Here's a little LOF for you! (I know with HE ending today this is kinda crazy timing. Blame Rach's parents. LOL)

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"Eric, get the door."

"Got it!"

I heard the door swing open, and the apartment was overrun with the loud chaotic sound of children reconnecting with old friends.

"Kenzie, wanna see our room?"

"Yeah. We got bunk beds. Come on!"

Gabi and Ali were six, and McKenzie was only a year younger. They considered each other cousins and had been looking forward to this weekend for months. It sounded like a small herd of elephants as the three girls ran through the apartment to check out the twins bedroom. We only stayed in Jacksonville with the kids a few times a year, so they were always very excited for the first day or so. Eric was cooing over baby Graham in the living room and Soph was hollering down the stairs at Cal about getting the diaper bag from the car. The only voice I hadn't heard was Collin's, but as I wiped my hands on a towel and turned to face the rest of the apartment, I saw him with his dad.

Eric was sitting on the couch holding Cal and Soph's new son with an awed look on his face. Collin was kneeling on the couch next to Eric, peering down at the swaddled infant.

"Dad, he's really little."

"He's a baby, Col. They all start out like this."

"Was I that little?"

"Yup. McKenzie and your sisters, too. But look how much you've all grown. Graham was even smaller when he was born, but he is going to get big just like all of you."

"Is he coming with us when we go stay with Granny Betty?"

"He sure is," Eric smiled. He loved that the kids had all taken to calling Reverend Taylor and his secretary Granny and Grandpa. The only true grandparents they had were Eric's folks, and they were never around. Gran's DAG ladies had practically adopted them, but kids could never have too many grandparents in my eyes.

They were so cute. The relationship between Eric and Collin pulled at my heart on a daily basis. They both tried to be so tough, but they were absolutely adorable. Collin was Eric's mini-me in both looks and mannerisms. He'd almost perfected the eyebrow raise and he was only three and a half.

Eric glanced over and saw me watching and smiled just as Cal and Sophie Anne came in, closing the door behind them. I gave them both big hugs and then took Graham from Eric, who'd gotten up to hug Soph. He and Cal made there way to the living room, with Collin following behind. I sat at the breakfast bar with the baby snuggled in my arms.

"He's beautiful, Soph."

"Thanks, Sookie. And thanks for loaning me Eric."

"Anytime. I wasn't going to let you do it all by yourself."

"Cal is still whining that Eric got to be in the delivery room and he was only there online, but he'll get over it. He just has to have something to complain about."

I smiled and we sat quietly, both watching the sleeping baby in amazement. Soph had found out she was pregnant after Cal's last deployment. She'd done really well, going through the entire pregnancy on her own with a toddler at home. I knew Thalia had helped out around the house and had kept McKenzie over night a few times, but for the most part, it had just been Soph. Cal had requested leave to come home for Graham's birth, but after some problems with the mission they'd been on, he didn't make it. I'd sent Eric up to Jackson to stay with her for the last two weeks of her pregnancy just in case. No woman should be alone for that if she didn't have to be. He drove her to her final doctor appointments and then, when they got word that Cal couldn't get home, he got everything set up with the Marines to have the web-cam in the delivery room.

After a few minutes of girl talk, we went and joined Eric and Cal with Collin in the other room. The kids could play together for hours on end, so the four of us had plenty of time to catch up. Collin was easily entertained, although he frequently had to be reminded that Uncle Cal was not really a horse, while Graham was thrilled to be passed from one adult to the next for snuggling.

It was great to see Cal again. I'd been out to visit Soph and Kenzie several times since he deployed this last time, and I always forgot the way they were both transformed when he was home. Soph breathed easier and Kenzie relaxed because Soph did. As the years went by and I saw the roller coaster that was a Marine wives' life, I thanked God that Eric had gotten out.

We were in town for Cal's surprise fortieth birthday party. Cal knew we were in town for his birthday, but he had no idea that there was a party planned. We were sending the kids over to Betty's house so we could take-over the bar for the night with the guys from their unit and anyone else who wanted to celebrate. It was a Friday, and the usual band would be there, making it seem like any other weekend. Cal would have no idea until they brought out the cake. The bar would still be open to the public, but I doubted too many people would stick around after they saw the drunken debauchery that I was sure the night was going to be full of. In all of the years I'd known Eric, including his time at Tulane, I'd never seen him as drunk as he got when he and Cal were together.

We took the kids to dinner at the beach, they loved to listen to the waves, and we enjoyed breaded fresh fish sandwiches. Afterward, we took the kids over to Betty's house, leaving her Soph's van with all of their seats in case she needed it. One of her teenage nieces had come to spend the night and help out with the kids. Soph spent a little extra time giving them a few tips for dealing with Graham if he got cranky, and then we headed back to the bar.

Slowly but surely Eric and Cal's entire unit trickled in, a mix of the old group and the new, since Eric hadn't been the only one to leave the unit over the last few years. Having Eric in town made it seem normal for everyone to get together, so Cal wasn't suspicious at all. For the most part, Eric only made it up to Jacksonville every couple of months, and the guys had been deployed several times since Eric had moved back to Bon Temps, so his presence at the beach when they were in the States was always an excuse to party.

Beer flowed and the night began to turn into everything I had expected. Eric and Cal had done shots at the bar, and Victor had a beer in each hand. Twinings and Jessica were there, Eric had muttered that he couldn't believe they were still together, but he said that every time we saw them. There were a lot of guys there that I didn't know, who Soph had to introduce me to. They were retired Marines that the guys had served with, Marines from other units and a few local guys that they knew. There were a few women there, mostly wives and girlfriends, but Soph and I found ourselves hiding out in a booth watching our husbands act like fools.

We'd been there for about an hour when Thalia came out of the office with one of the bartenders who carried a big birthday cake with a werewolf on it. It was chocolate with raspberry filling to make it look bloody. Soph and I couldn't talk Eric into the red velvet cake like the armadillo cake in Steel Magnolia's. We joined the guys to stand at a high top table, and Eric nudged Cal on the shoulder. He looked at the cake in confusion as Thalia came to stand in front of him.

"What the fuck?"

A crowd had grown around us and everyone yelled, "Surprise!"

The band struck up Happy Birthday and everyone sang the most obnoxious, off-key version of the song I'd ever heard.

"Holy shit! No way!" He was grinning and cracking up. His eyes were wide as he turned to Eric. "Dude, how did you pull this off?"

"I know the guy who owns this bar," Eric deadpanned.

"Smart ass." He reached up to cuff Eric on the head, but Eric ducked out of the way. Cal turned to Soph, who had put her arm around his waist, and leaned down, kissing her. It was blatantly sexual, and I felt a little like I was intruding on a private moment or the set of a porno movie. When he pulled his mouth away from hers, he shook his head. "You're in so much trouble when we get home."

She raised an eyebrow. "There isn't a chance in hell you're ending this night on your feet, cowboy."

We all laughed, and I wondered if I was the only one that thought it could have been interpreted several ways. Then again, I was in a roomful of Marines, it was likely that they were thinking darker and dirtier things than I could even imagine.

Someone started chanting, "Speech! Speech! Speech!"

Everyone joined in until Cal was laughing and waved his arms for everyone to quiet down. "Alright. Alright."

When he paused, someone yelled, "Get some!" from the back of the room and everyone was laughing again.

"Shut it." He looked around the bar, giving everyone an angry look and then breaking into a smile. "Four score and seven years ago..."

More laughter.

"I was born bare-assed on a full moon..."

Howling erupted.

"I grew up and became a man when I joined the Marines..."

They guys all yelled, "Get some!"

"Without my wife I'd be drunk in a gutter somewhere..."

"With Thor!" Twinings yelled.

Cal snorted. "Fuck, yeah. Eric would be right there with me if he didn't have Sookie."

"Boo!" Soph yelled even though she was standing right next to him.

He put his arm around her and gave her a quick but hard kiss. "But since I have my amazing wife, let's all get drunk right here!"

The room burst into applause, cat calls and more shouts of, "Get some!" I'd forgotten how annoying that could get.

Sometime during the song or speech, a waitress had brought a huge tray of shots from the bar, and they were being handed out to everyone within reach. I tossed one back, it was strong Irish whiskey that burned, but from the look on Cal's face he either enjoyed it or was already too drunk to notice. I glanced at Eric, who was now drinking from the bottle. I had the ingredients for Gran's hangover cure ready for the morning, and it looked like we were going to need it.

Cal cornered me at one point, thanking me for saving Eric. It was a conversation that he and I repeated almost yearly, mostly when he was drunk. He had been more worried about Eric in the years before we reconnected than anyone realized. Sadly, I understood that it meant that Eric had been much more depressed than anyone else imagined, but Cal knew. He knew Eric better than I did during his time in the Marines, but he couldn't see his role in saving Eric at all. He didn't recognize that when Eric had wanted to give up it was his connection to Cal and Soph had brought him back every time. Without them, there wouldn't have been an Eric to save. He wandered away towards the bar, and I watched him down the better part of a beer. I suppose that was the male version of crying.

A little while later, Soph nudged me and angled her head towards the dance floor. Eric and Cal were dancing, sans shirts, in the middle of a large crowd of guys as the band played AC/DC's _You Shook Me All Night Long_.

When the song finished, Eric caught me looking at him and I could practically hear his growl across the bar. He practically dragged me to the office and bent me over his desk, lifting my skirt and tucking my underwear in his pocket. It was hot and rough, and I came with him talking dirty in my ear. He would have kept me in there for hours, but someone pounded on the door. Probably one of the guys, like Twinnings or Victor. We went back out to the bar and Cal gave Eric a high five. I groaned at their childish behavior, but on the inside I was glad we'd squeezed in a quickie before things got too ugly. I knew Eric wouldn't be in any shape for sex later.

As the night wore on, people's words slurred and the noise in the bar reached a new level. Victor told a never-ending series of stories about missions they had run that I was sure were exaggerated beyond belief. People made out in dark corners. The band rocked out, and people were stacked two or three deep at the bar waiting for drinks. Soph had introduced me to the new wives that I hadn't met yet, but we'd visited so often in the summers that I knew almost everyone.

Before things started to wind down, I saw Twinings stage dive into the audience, and everyone had their hands up, surfing him over the crowd, practically dropping him twice. Eric stepped onto the stage and I turned around. There was no way I was watching that.

The band played for a while longer and then at last call, the bar had really cleared out. I wasn't surprised when a few people made their way upstairs to our apartment. They turned on the music and while some people just drank and talked, drinking games broke out and a few guys were playing cards around the table.

We'd been upstairs for a while when Soph grabbed my arm and dragged me towards the bathroom. I was a little afraid she was going to be sick, but she was muttering things like, "They did it again," and "Can't believe I didn't see them going in there."

When we got close, she slowed down and gave made a shushing motion. The door was wide open and I had to cover my mouth to keep from cracking up laughing at what I saw. Our husbands were stripped to their boxer briefs sitting in the bathtub, passing a bottle of whiskey between them, talking quietly. Soph pulled out her cell phone and took several pictures before clearing her throat.

"What the fuck are you two doing in here? Again?"

"Hey, baby!" Cal was grinning at her, but not even trying to get up.

"What?" Eric muttered, his eyes squinting. "Cal spilled shit on my shirt. Jackass."

"Where are your pants, baby?" I asked softly.

"What?" He looked down and snapped the waistband of his underwear. "I'm not naked."

"I didn't say that. Why did you take your pants off if something got spilled on your shirt?"

"Oh, cuz then he pissed on my pants-leg," Eric slurred matter of fact.

Soph made an 'ew' sound and looked at Cal. "What's your excuse?"

"He pissed on me after I pissed on him," he defended himself.

I shook my head at them and looked over at Soph. "Do we need to help them?"

"Hell no. We might get pissed on." She turned on her heel and went back to the party.

When the last of their friends left, I took Eric and Cal pillows and blankets, but they were both already passed out. I left them on the floor in the bathroom and made my way to our room to sleep comfortably in our bed.

I woke in the morning to find Eric sprawled out face down on his side of the bed. I had no idea what time it was, or what time he'd managed to drag himself out of the bathtub. I rolled over and saw that the sun was streaking through the high window over our dresser. I stretched and made my way to the kitchen to make coffee and a little bit of hangover cure.

When I came back into the bedroom I put my coffee on the bedside table and poked Eric with my foot. "Wake up!" I called loudly.

He rolled over with a groan, throwing his arm over his eyes. "Quiet please," he whispered.

"Not a chance. Sit up." I poked him again.

"Don't be mean," he mumbled. He moved his wrist and peered over his arm at me. "What time is it? You already made me a drink?"

"It's a little after nine."

"Good god! Let me go back to sleep," he whined.

"Again, not a chance. Sit up."

He sat up, holding his head with one hand and reaching the other out for what he knew I had for him. I gave him some Ibuprofen, which he quickly put in his mouth, then I handed him the glass of Gran's cure. It was a mix of V-8 juice, Tabasco, a dollop of honey and a splash of orange juice. I drank it with some beer in it, I think it was the carbonation that helped, but Eric hated it that way.

He took a big drink, and then looked at me like he was exhausted. "Oh no, buddy. Drink up. We're sending you two fools to get the kids in a little while, so you need to finish that."

"Why are you being mean to me?"

"Why did you get so drunk you pissed on Cal last night?"

He choked a little on the sip of his drink. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Nothing, baby. I'm going to make breakfast. You want sausage or bacon?"

"Both, please."

I laughed. Eric loved greasy food on a hangover. He always had. Soph joined me in the kitchen, and we whipped up a big breakfast of fresh fruit, scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon and toast. We cleaned up glasses and other carnage from the night before as we compared notes on how hungover the boys were, and she laughed at my comment about Eric peeing on Cal.

Slowly but surely, our zombie husbands made their way towards the smell of coffee and food. We filled plates, then sat down to breakfast, and Cal thanked all of us again for throwing him a party. We laughed about some of the funny things that had happened the night before, and I waited for Soph to pounce on them. We were making small talk and procrastinating starting our day when she said it.

"So, you pissed on each other last night."

Eric looked at me as if to say, "You weren't kidding?" and I shook my head, sadly, no.

"You know the drill, babe," Cal snorted.

She interrupted and mimicked him, "If there are no pictures, it didn't happen." She went over to the counter to grab her laptop, and I saw Cal blanch. "You should know better than that, Calvin. I have video, boys. Watch it and weep."

"How did you get to be so evil?" Cal asked her, laughing.

"I was trained by the best, baby," she teased. "Ready to watch?"

"You're serious?" Eric finally chimed in.

"As a heart attack. If you can't aim your piss, I don't know how you aim guns."

"Well, we don't shoot when we're shit faced drunk," Cal huffed.

"You can say that again."

I choked a little on my coffee, and Eric barked out a laugh.

"See? Evil." Cal shook his head at her, but was grinning as well.

We all laughed, and there was a surprising knock at the door. I made Eric go answer it, because I wasn't letting him milk his hangover. When the door opened a rush of children swarmed his legs, and I could hear a crying baby farther away, probably at the bottom of the stairs.

"Daddy! Graham cries a lot!" Gabi was the first to talk.

"More than Colly ever did!" Ali had to get her two cents in.

"He always cries like that. Where's my dad?" McKenzie looked around for Cal, who had managed to lie down on the couch.

Betty came to the door with a squalling Graham, who Soph quickly grabbed, but he continued to scream.

Collin came in behind Betty, dragging his overnight bag and Graham's diaper bag. "Did I cry like that, dad? He's really loud."

The girls had made their way to the living room and were climbing on Cal. Eric picked up Collin and gave Betty a smile. "Rough night?"

"I could ask the same," she teased. "You look a little worse for wear. We were fine til this morning, then all he wanted was his mother and nothing else was going to do."

Soph cooed over the baby, and he was beginning to settle down. "I think he's teething."

"Oh, it's no problem, but we had the van, so I just figured I'd bring them on home."

"Thanks so much, Betty," I said as Ali started poking my leg to get my attention. "Yes, baby?"

"Do I smell sausage?"

"Let me go see if Uncle Cal left you some, my little carnivore." Ali was just like her father in that sense. We went into the kitchen to check the leftovers. I made her a plate and she ate at the bar, happy as could be. Soph was walking Betty out to the car, and we all called goodbye.

I started to wipe the counter and load the dishwasher, vaguely thinking about how easily our families blended together the same way that ours did with Pam's. I realized then that it was so true what they said, that family is what you make it.

"Let me help," Soph said from behind me.

"If you could put the rest of the dishes in here I can put things back in the frig."

"Sure." She smiled and went right to work.

I turned to grab something off of the counter and Eric caught my eye. He was sitting in an over stuffed chair with the twins snuggled under each arm asleep. There was no sign of McKenzie, Collin or Cal, so I could assume they were all stretched out on the couch. I smiled at Eric. They looked so cute sitting together. He smiled and mouthed, "I love you" at me over their heads. I blew a kiss back and turned to put some things in the refrigerator.

When I turned back, his eyes were closed, and he was asleep, too. I stood there for a minute, resting my elbows on the counter, watching them. I felt Soph come to stand next to me and after a few seconds she sighed. "What a beautiful picture."

I just nodded.

"It's times like this that remind you to count your blessings, right?"

I reached over and squeezed her hand. "Trust me, Soph, I do. Every day."

00oo00oo00oo00

**A/N:**

Thanks for reading! If you know A Redhead Thing, be sure to give her a shout out for her bday!

I hope you all enjoyed revisiting these rowdies! It was kind of fun to write Marine!Eric again!

As A Redhead Thing says, catch you on the flip side!


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